"Biggest loser" - Four players who went backwards during the 2025 Lions tour

Tuesday, 05 August 2025 at 18:32

byRugby Rucker

The 2025 British & Irish Lions tour promised to define legacies and launch new icons into rugby folklore. But not everyone rose to the occasion.

While some stars roared into contention, others were left behind — exposed, outpaced, and out of answers.

This isn’t just a dip in form. It’s a full-blown crisis.

Here are four Lions who flopped hard — and now face a brutal fight just to stay relevant in the Test arena.

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1. Marcus Smith – From England’s First-Choice 10 to Fourth in the Fly-Half Pecking Order

Marcus Smith’s spot in the England No.10 hierarchy is under serious threat following a standout summer for George Ford and the limited chances afforded to him during the British & Irish Lions tour.

Ford was close to immaculate during England’s unbeaten run in Argentina and the USA, while Smith barely featured in his preferred position for the Lions, instead filling in at fullback or covering from the bench. With Owen Farrell also back in the mix after returning to Gallagher Premiership action, Smith is now facing a major battle to stay relevant in Steve Borthwick’s plans.

The Harlequins playmaker has effectively fallen to fourth in the fly-half pecking order, even before a ball has been kicked this season. Farrell was picked ahead of him for the bench role in the second Lions Test against Australia – a clear sign of where the coaches’ minds are at.

With only three fly-half spots expected in England’s autumn squad, all eyes will be on the opening weeks of the Premiership campaign. Ford, Farrell, Fin Smith and Marcus Smith will all be looking to prove they deserve selection.

Former England stars Lawrence Dallaglio, Lewis Moody and Katy Daley-McLean broke down the selection picture on the latest Stick to Rugby podcast.

“The biggest loser out of this summer, unfortunately, has been Marcus Smith,” Dallaglio said. “Because he’s gone from last season being England’s first-choice 10 at the beginning of the season to this season being a guy who covers 10 and 15 off the bench, at best, and doesn’t start, and when Owen Farrell is fit, he doesn’t even get to be on the bench.

“If I asked us all to put down our number 10s, what the order would be of those four 10s, you would say at the moment Fin Smith is first-choice England number 10, I would probably say George Ford suddenly becomes number two now, in my opinion, I think, as it stands at the moment, maybe Marcus Smith is three and Owen…”

2. Josh van der Flier – From World Rugby Player of the Year to Overlooked on Tour

Crowned World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year in 2022, Josh van der Flier arrived on the 2025 Lions tour with big expectations. Yet, in a stark contrast to his stellar individual accolades, he hasn’t featured in any Test match squad, nor has he been named on the bench — with Tom Curry and Tadhg Beirne preferred in the back row.

Despite showing his usual work-rate and skill in midweek games, Van der Flier’s role on tour has been largely peripheral, and with fierce competition for starting spots, his chances of appearing in the final Test seem slim unless the series is already decided.

For a player once regarded as a guaranteed Lions pick, this tour has been a clear step back, highlighting the brutal realities of elite squad selection.

3. Duhan van der Merwe – From 2021 Test Starter to Watching From the Stands

Four years ago, Duhan van der Merwe started all three Tests for the Lions in South Africa — a testament to his power, pace, and try-scoring instinct. Fast-forward to 2025, and despite adding to his tally of tries during the tour, the Scottish winger has been left out of the matchday squad entirely for the second Test, overtaken by Blair Kinghorn in the pecking order.

Yes, Van der Merwe remains Scotland’s all-time leading try scorer, but his tour performances have lacked the spark and physical dominance that once made him undroppable. In midweek matches, he looked uninvolved, one-dimensional, and short on defensive intensity, while Tommy Freeman and James Lowe consistently offered more complete and rounded games.

His omission from the squad for a pivotal Test match is telling — a clear sign that his finishing threat alone is no longer enough to guarantee selection at this level. For a player once viewed as a Lions Test mainstay, this tour has marked a steep and very public fall down the ladder.

#4. Fin Smith – From Rising Star to Watching From the Sidelines

Once seen as England’s long-term fly-half solution, Fin Smith's Lions tour has done little to advance his case — and may have set him back. Despite early buzz, he had a minimal role on tour and was left out of both Tests against Australia.

His only serious rival for a future Lions No. 10 shirt, Finn Russell, started both Tests — suggesting Smith was firmly third choice in the selectors' eyes. What’s more, George Ford has re-emerged emphatically, leading England to four straight wins this summer (France XV, two against Argentina, and USA) and putting in vintage performances full of control, intelligence, and precision.

It now looks likely that Smith will return to England camp this autumn as a bench option at best, having gone from starter in the Six Nations to surplus in the Lions’ biggest games. For a player tipped to take over the 10 jersey long-term, this tour may have stalled his momentum right when he needed to push forward.