Sir Clive Woodward includes Finn Russell in his 2025 Lions XV

byRugby Rucker

Sir Clive Woodward has revealed his preferred British & Irish Lions XV to take on the Wallabies in the opening Test of the 2025 series – and it’s a squad heavily dominated by Irish and Scottish stars.

Find your local Greene King and settle in for the 2025 Six Nations!

The 2003 Rugby World Cup-winning coach, who oversaw the Lions' ill-fated 2005 tour of New Zealand, believes Andy Farrell should select eight Irish players in his starting lineup, alongside four Scots and just three Englishmen. Meanwhile, Wales’ only representatives are confined to the bench.

Surprise selections in Woodward’s pack

One of the more eye-catching aspects of Woodward’s selection is his preference for players who missed the Autumn Nations Series entirely. Ireland’s Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong were sidelined through injury, while Jack Willis was unavailable due to England’s selection policy for overseas-based players.

Despite these absences, Woodward is convinced they should start in Brisbane on 17 July, joining an Irish-dominated pack that also includes Andrew Porter, Joe McCarthy, Josh van der Flier and his chosen Lions captain, Caelan Doris.

Scotland’s backline dominance

While Ireland dominates the pack, Woodward has turned to Gregor Townsend’s Scotland for the majority of his backline selections. Blair Kinghorn, Sione Tuipulotu, Duhan van der Merwe and Finn Russell all make his starting XV, with only two Irish backs—Garry Ringrose and Jamison Gibson-Park—earning spots.

England’s sole backline representative is Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who has made an instant impact at Test level.

Wales players only make the bench

Despite boasting some standout performers in recent years, no Welsh players made Woodward’s starting XV. Instead, Dewi Lake, Jac Morgan and Tomos Williams are named among the replacements, alongside two English, two Irish, and one Scottish player.

Clive Woodward’s British & Irish Lions XV

15. Blair Kinghorn (Scotland)
14. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (England)
13. Garry Ringrose (Ireland)
12. Sione Tuipulotu (Scotland)
11. Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland)
10. Finn Russell (Scotland)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland)
1. Andrew Porter (Ireland)
2. Dan Sheehan (Ireland)
3. Tadhg Furlong (Ireland)
4. Maro Itoje (England)
5. Joe McCarthy (Ireland)
6. Jack Willis (England)
7. Josh van der Flier (Ireland)
8. Caelan Doris (Ireland, captain)

Replacements: Dewi Lake (Wales), Ellis Genge (England), Zander Fagerson (Scotland), Tadhg Beirne (Ireland), Jac Morgan (Wales), Tomos Williams (Wales), Marcus Smith (England), James Lowe (Ireland).

PREDICTOR GAME:

Four players England should drop – and who Steve Borthwick should replace them with

For England, it’s a sixth defeat in seven matches under Borthwick and a baptism of fire for Maro Itoje in his first game since replacing Jamie George as captain.

With a crucial clash against France at the Allianz Stadium up next, here are four changes Borthwick must consider.

#1. Freddie Steward

Telegraph 4/10: "His worst nightmare of facing a scrum half in open space recurred as Gibson-Park did him dirty as badly as Grant Williams had. England need more than a safety blanket at full back."

Replacement: George Hendy

#2. Cadan Murley

Planet Rugby 4/10: "Had a great moment early on when he scored a debut try but a bit rabbit in the headlights after that. Made a couple of errors no Test player should ever really make, quite frankly. Murley should be backed next weekend as you can see the talent and potential, but it was a big learning curve in Dublin"

Guardian 5/10: "Quickly snaffled a try on debut, but later invited pressure on teammates twice with a serious lack of composure in defence."

Telegraph 4/10: "After what set to be a dream debut, scoring a try after eight minutes, Ireland turned his life into a nightmare, forcing into some horrible naive errors."

Evening Standard 5/10: "Got off to a flyer on his debut by scoring inside the opening 10 minutes. Had a tough second half, though, and was shaky on kick defence. Did assist Curry’s try."

Replacement: Tom Roebuck

#3. Alex Mitchell

Planet Rugby 5/10: " Kicking was good in the first half and he brought some good tempo to the game, but Mitchell struggled to control the game after the interval."

Telegraph 5/10: "Done all ends up after showing Lowe the outside for Gibson-Park’s try. A few other uncharacteristic errors but then England’s attack stopped functioning when he went off."

The Sun 5/10: "Returning scrum half brought calmness but the missed tackle on Lowe, just as Smith was getting ready to return, was critical."

Replacement: Harry Randall

#4. Ben Earl

Mail Online 5/10: "Dropped restart after England's early opener but one strong ruck clear-out showed his menace. Made way for Saracens team-mate Tom Willis."

Rugby Pass 5/10: "The third openside in the England back row, he was eclipsed by what the Curry twins achieved and gone by the 56th minute. While a show of wheels helped lead to the penalty that got England 10-5 up just before the break, some rearguard work wasn’t up to scratch. For instance, his soft knock-on at the 7-0 restart. There were also too many missed tackles."

Replacement: Tom Willis

PREDICTOR GAME:

You’ll have to be red-hot to get 15/15 in this 2010s Six Nations quiz

The Six Nations Championship, Europe’s premier rugby tournament, has delivered unforgettable moments and showcased some of the game’s greatest players.

From stunning tries to epic battles, the 2010s were packed with rugby brilliance.

Can you name the players who lit up the tournament during this golden decade? You’ll need to be on top form to get 15/15—are you up for the challenge? Let’s kick off!

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