Below, we look at five players that were blacklisted by their countries or the Lions, and the reported reason why.
#1. Jamie Roberts (Wales)
Roberts, Wales captain on the 2017 summer tour five months earlier, originally had been left out of Warren Gatland’s autumn squad, but earned a recall when regular centre ally Jonathan Davies was injured. He played in the third November Test versus New Zealand, next up were the Springboks.
However, after being told he’d be sacked by Quins if he played in the game outside the international window, he departed the Wales camp and would never play again.
On the issue, Roberts wrote: “If time is a healer, a good deal of water is yet to pass under this bridge. The animosity runs deep to this day.”
