Rugby Union Weekly presenter and ex-England wing Chris Ashton has picked out his five 'definites' for his Lions XV to face the Springboks this summer.
1&2. Sam Underhill & Tom Curry (England)
"There is no debate with either Tom Curry or Sam Underhill. You're going to South Africa, you need tacklers. These two have proven that they are the best tacklers and poachers in the business. They are going to be essential playing against South Africa."
3. Finn Russell (Scotland)
"We've seen how good Finn is behind a good pack. I'm definitely going for him to start for the Lions in this situation."
JOIN THE RUCK:
4. Jonny May (England)
"May is a straightforward choice; you can't argue with that. Jonny is doing what he's doing being an outstanding winger."
5. Jonathan Davies (Wales)
"Davies is a veteran of two tours. Finn Russell picking off Jonathan Davies on the gainline, that's a tantalising prospect."
EDITORS PICKS:
- England captain Owen Farrell ranks his top five rugby players
- The current 36-man Lions squad, according to the bookies
- Piers Morgan picks his all-time greatest rugby XV
- Every Premiership club’s best player out of contract in 2021
2021 British and Irish Lions dates
Saturday, 26 June: Lions v Japan - Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Saturday, 3 July: Stormers v Lions - Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
Wednesday, 7 July: South Africa 'Invitational' v Lions - Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Saturday, 10 July: Sharks v Lions - Jonsson Kings Park, Durban
Wednesday, 14 July: South Africa 'A' Team v Lions - Mbombela Stadium, Mbombela
Saturday, 17 July: Bulls v Lions - Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Saturday, 24 July (first Test): Springboks v Lions - FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
Saturday, 31 July (second Test): Springboks v Lions - Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
Saturday, 7 August (third Test): Springboks v Lions - Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
TRENDING
LATEST NEWS
LATEST COMMENTS
- Jordie Barrett over Damian de Allende is far from being correct. The hype around Dupont is also overreaching, he's probably 4th in the world and has been since the 2023 WC. He also avoids certain matchups which is strange. The rest of the list is pretty good apart from minor subjective biases.JasonMarlow16-09-2026
Loading