3. Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins)
We stick with Harlequins for our next entry, with another one of Danny Wilson’s players putting themselves forward as an outside shout for the British & Irish Lions. The men in the famous quarters could well lose the likes of Marcus Smith, Leigh Halfpenny and Joe Marler to the Lions next June, with Chandler Cunningham-South doing all he can to join the fray of club-mates looking to head down under to Australia.
Cunningham-South could cap off a whirlwind five years with a Lions tour inclusion, as the back row has come a long way since the collapse of London Irish. The hard-hitter’s talents were well regarded around West London, and Cunningham-South did not have to wait long until he was snapped up out of free agency by Harlequins. The momentum continued to roll for the 21-year-old, who earned his England debut in the 2024 Six Nations.
Cunningham-South was included amongst four other debutants, who earned their maiden Test caps in the opening round in Rome. However, out of the likes of Fin Smith, Ethan Roots and Fraser Dingwall, Cunningham-South and Manny Feyi-Waboso are the front-runners for a spot in the Lions tour. Whilst we will address the competition faced by Feyi-Waboso shortly, Cunningham-South’s back row counterparts read as a solid list of Lions candidates.
The rival contenders begin with his fellow England teammates, with Sam Underhill, Ben Earl and Tom Curry all vying for a spot upon the Lions tour. Ireland through in some serious firepower, with Caelan Doris and Josh van der Flier, with Jac Morgan of Wales and Scotland’s Andy Onyeama-Christie hoping to return from a horror of an ankle injury. Cunningham-South is certainly an outsiders pick, but with profound ability across the flanks and at number eight, he is a versatile multi-tool man to have in Andy Farrell’s ranks.
4. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs)
England and Exeter Chiefs’ dynamic wing, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso could soon add British & Irish Lion to his ever growing list of accomplishments. Yet like his previous England teammates, it will not be a straight forward road to the red jersey, as he faces fierce competition to get himself on the plane to Australia.
In a similar form to Cunningham-South, Feyi-Waboso has progressed from strength to strength on the Test match stage since his debut against Italy in February. The Exeter flyer was one of the stand-out talents of England’s recent Summer tour of Japan and New Zealand, as he scored a try in each of the three matches, be it against Eddie Jones’ Brave Blossoms or in the double header with the All Blacks.
Feyi-Waboso achieved his mission objective in New Zealand, as the All Blacks finished the tour remembering the name of the man from Devon. The challenge was laid out by Sevu Reece, after the All Blacks wing admitted to not knowing who Feyi-Waboso or Tommy Freeman were, ahead of the first Test match down in Dunedin. Feyi-Waboso’s tries certainly rectified any lack of knowledge, and laid out his intentions for a Lions involvement next June.
Out of our shortlisted bolters, Feyi-Waboso is arguably the leading contender for a spot in Andy Farrell’s Lions squad. However, he does have to deal with the possible return of Henry Arundell, with the Racing 92 wing embodying his club’s name as he scorches along the touchlines of the Top 14. The opponents outside of Arundell also include Elliot Daly, Tommy Freeman, Ollie Sleightholme and Max Malins from England alone, before any further contenders from Ireland, Scotland or Wales are thrown into the mix.
Thankfully for Feyi-Waboso, 2021 British Lion Louis Rees-Zammit ended his rugby career with his shock move to the NFL, and does not look to be returning to Wales or Gloucester anytime soon. Ireland’s James Lowe and Scotland’s Duhan van der Merwe are arguably the first choice wings in many Lions fan’s eyes, with Rio Dyer of Wales a bolter of his own right from Warren Gatland’s Wales.
5. Gabriel Ibitoye (Bristol Bears)
Then throw into the mix an uncapped England hopeful who has been tearing up the Premiership, and the possible wing combinations for the upcoming Lions tour only get further complicated. Since the start of the new league season, Bristol wing Gabriel Ibitoye has been on a mission to get his long awaited (and arguably overdue) England call-up.
Ibitoye’s finest hour so far was in the the West Country derby of Round Four, as Bristol took on Exeter at the Chiefs’ Devonshire home. The 26-year-old ran in an unprecedented hat-trick within the closing eight minutes, as Bristol turned the derby on it’s head for a dramatic late win at Sandy Park. With four tries to his name already this season, Ibitoye is striving to be the best outside back in the Premiership, and earn his stripes through a Test debut.
It was a surprise to rugby fans and pundits alike, when the Bristol flyer was not named amongst Steve Borthwick’s plans, for the currently ongoing pre-Autumn Nations Series camp in Girona, Spain. Ibitoye is surely on a potential short-list as injury cover for next month’s matches, with few players in better form this season that the former Harlequins and Montpellier wing.
Keeping Ibitoye at bay from the England shirt are the aforementioned likes of Manny Feyi-Waboso, Tommy Freeman, Ollie Sleightholme and Elliot Daly. Whilst we by no means want to see any of the England wings come down with an injury, should the opportunity present itself for Ibitoye, you would expect to see the Bristol wing step up to the plate and make his mark in an England shirt.
There is still a long way to go before Andy Farrell nails down his squad for the Lions tour to Australia, with Ibitoye needing to keep up this tremendous form if he wants to take up a ‘bolter’ of a role next June.
