Henry Pollock among 19 England players named in predicted 2029 British & Irish Lions squad
Rugby NewsWednesday, 22 July 2026 at 21:29
One year on from their series victory in Australia, attention is already beginning to turn towards the British and Irish Lions' next challenge.
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In 2029, the famous touring side will head to New Zealand for what promises to be one of rugby's toughest assignments. We have predicted the squad that could make the trip, featuring established stars alongside the next generation of Lions hopefuls.
Prop: Ellis Genge, Andrew Porter, Billy Bohan, Will Stuart, Tom Clarkson, Asher Opoku-Fordjour
By the time the next Lions tour arrives, Ellis Genge and Andrew Porter will be 34 and 33 respectively. While both will be towards the latter stages of their careers, they should still have enough left to make one more tour and would bring invaluable experience.
Billy Bohan has only just made his Ireland debut at the age of 20 and already looks to have huge potential. With a few more years of development, he could become a valuable squad member.
On the tighthead side, Will Stuart will be 32 and, like Genge and Porter, would provide plenty of experience. Tom Clarkson, who was a late call-up in 2025, should be entering his prime by 2029 and looks capable of becoming a dependable option.
Asher Opoku-Fordjour is continuing to develop into a top-level player and should be ready for the next Lions tour.
Hooker: Dan Sheehan, Ronan Kelleher, Kepu Tuipulotu
Dan Sheehan and Ronan Kelleher both toured Australia and will be 30 and 31 by the next Lions series, so there is little reason to think they will lose their places unless an exceptional young player breaks through.
Kepu Tuipulotu may not displace the two Irish hookers, but he looks set to become England's next long-term starter as Jamie George and Luke Cowan-Dickie move towards the latter stages of their careers. His athleticism and potential suggest he will be approaching his prime by 2029.
Lock: Ollie Chessum, George Martin, Dafydd Jenkins, Joe McCarthy, Cormac Izuchukwu
Former captain Maro Itoje is unlikely to have another Lions tour in him, leaving Leicester Tigers skipper Ollie Chessum as a genuine candidate to captain the side. At 28, he should be at the peak of his powers and capable of leading from the front. George Martin has returned strongly from a long-term injury and, provided he stays fit, should continue to improve over the coming years.
Joe McCarthy toured in 2025 as a 24-year-old and there is every reason to expect him to keep progressing and retain his place.
Fellow Ireland international Cormac Izuchukwu has not yet accumulated many Test appearances, but he appears to possess all the attributes needed to succeed and will be 29 by the next tour.
Completing the group is one of only a handful of Welsh selections, Exeter Chiefs lock Dafydd Jenkins, who has already captained both club and country at just 23 and looks ideally suited to the demands of Lions rugby.
Back row: Jac Morgan, Henry Pollock, Ben Earl, Guy Pepper, Rory Darge, Chandler Cunningham-South
Henry Pollock and Guy Pepper are two of the brightest young back-row prospects around. Both have already earned the trust of Steve Borthwick and should collect plenty of Test experience over the next three years.
Pollock, in particular, is one of the most exciting talents in the game both on and off the field.
Jac Morgan continues to stand out despite Wales' struggles and has already shown in Australia the qualities that could allow him to thrive as a Lion. Ben Earl remains one of the game's best carriers and will still only be 31.
Chandler Cunningham-South brings versatility, power and excellent tackling technique, provided he secures a regular England place over the coming years. Having been born in New Zealand also adds an interesting dimension.
Rory Darge should be at his peak by 2029 and looks set to become an increasingly important player for Scotland.
Scrum-half: Ben White, Archie McParland, Charlie Bracken
Leaving out Alex Mitchell may raise a few eyebrows, but the prediction is that Charlie Bracken and Archie McParland will move ahead of him by 2029.
McParland's form has already surpassed Mitchell's for Northampton Saints towards the end of this season, while Bracken, son of England World Cup winner Kyran Bracken, continues to develop into an outstanding player in his own right.
They may still sit behind Ben White, whose spell with Toulon has helped shape him into an excellent scrum-half capable of controlling the tempo of matches. At 32, he would offer valuable experience and composure.
Fly-half: Fin Smith, Marcus Smith, Sam Prendergast
Fin Smith is an unsurprising selection after everything he has already shown and is expected to be the first-choice fly-half.
Sam Prendergast is a more difficult call. He has displayed enormous potential but has yet to find consistency in an Ireland shirt. He could go either way over the next few years, but the expectation here is that he fulfils that promise.
Marcus Smith still has plenty to offer and his ability to cover full-back, and potentially scrum-half, makes him an extremely useful touring option.
Centre: Sione Tuipulotu, Benhard Janse van Rensburg, Seb Atkinson, Stafford McDowall
Sione Tuipulotu is an obvious selection, but beyond him the midfield is wide open given the number of experienced home nations centres approaching the latter stages of their careers.
Seb Atkinson has earned Steve Borthwick's trust and, while not the flashiest player, has the qualities to bring those around him into the game as a dependable option.
Benhard Janse van Rensburg has only recently become available for England but offers something different through his experience in the southern hemisphere, albeit in South Africa rather than New Zealand, which could work in his favour.
Stafford McDowall completes the group. He is capable of playing across the midfield, combines power with strong handling skills and, while perhaps an outside pick, has the ability to do a job.
Back three: Tommy Freeman, Noah Caluori, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Jamie Osborne, Mack Hansen, Darcy Graham, Blair Kinghorn
Tommy Freeman, Noah Caluori and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso all look like straightforward selections, as do Mack Hansen and Blair Kinghorn.
Darcy Graham has slipped slightly down the pecking order for Scotland but continues to have a remarkable eye for the try line, making him a useful option to include.
Jamie Osborne's versatility is another major asset. Having been called up as cover on the last Lions tour, he looks well placed to develop into an excellent squad player.
Head coach: Andy Farrell
As long as Andy Farrell remains Ireland head coach, there is little reason to think he will not lead the Lions again after guiding them to a series victory in Australia in 2025.
He is currently the standout coach across the home nations and, unless another high-profile figure emerges, perhaps through England appointing Shaun Edwards, it is difficult to see anyone else taking charge in New Zealand.
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- 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
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