6. Courtney Lawes, 7. Josh van der Flier, 8. Caelan Dorris
He said: “Well, that’s a ridiculous selection to be honest. I’ve gone for Courtney Lawes at 6, bringing him out of retirement from international rugby. I’ve gone for Dorris at 8 and Van der Flier at 7. Obviously we should be on the selection panel.
“It would be very, very quick and we could go straight to the pub! I think Van der Flier over Ben Earl. I’d bring Ben Earl off the bench as impact. And also you have to think about who you’re playing against. I wouldn’t potentially have picked that team if I wasn’t playing against Australia.”
9. Jamison Gibson-Park, 10. Finn Russell
He said: “Gibson-Park and Finn Russell. It’s easy. I say easy, it’s probably going to be Owen Farrell because you’ve got to pick his son. Otherwise, Christmas Day is going to be an absolute nightmare for the next couple of decades, isn’t it? I think Farrell will be there some place.
“But the Lions needs to be exciting this time. I think it’s been boring the last few trips to watch as a fan, and if you want excitement, you want Finn Russell. And if you’ve got Finn Russell you want the ball in his hands quickly, and Gibson-Park is the best at that.”