After Andy Farrell's appointment as the head coach for the 2025 British & Irish Lions tour of Australia, the focus naturally shifts to speculating about the potential squad members.
The 48-year-old Englishman succeeds Gatland having impressed during his four-year reign as Ireland head coach, masterminding a grand slam and a historic 2-1 series victory in New Zealand.
Farrell will take a break from his role with Ireland from December 2024 until the conclusion of the Lions tour.
The Lions have already released the nine-match schedule for the 2025 Tour to Australia including three Test matches against the Wallabies.
Two years out from the Tour, it’s been confirmed that the eagerly awaited Test clashes will take place on 19 July, 26 July and 2 August. The Lions will travel to Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney respectively for the Test matches.
2025 Lions Tour to Australia (kick off times TBC)
- 28 June, Lions vs Western Force, Perth (Optus Stadium)
- 2 July, Lions vs Queensland Reds, Brisbane (Suncorp Stadium)
- 5 July, Lions vs NSW Waratahs, Sydney (Allianz Stadium)
- 9 July, Lions vs ACT Brumbies, Canberra (GIO Stadium)
- 12 July, Lions vs Invitational AU & NZ, Adelaide (Adelaide Oval)
- 19 July, 1st Test, Lions vs Wallabies, Brisbane (Suncorp Stadium)
- 22 July, Lions vs Melbourne Rebels, Melbourne (Marvel Stadium)
- 26 July, 2nd Test, Lions vs Wallabies, Melbourne (Melbourne Cricket Ground/MCG)
- 2 Aug, 3rd Test, Lions vs Wallabies, Sydney (Accor Stadium)
Below is what the 37-man touring party looks like according to The Telegraph:
Loosehead-props:
- Andrew Porter (Ireland)
- Ellis Genge (England)
- Pierre Schoeman (Scotland)
Hookers:
- Dewi Lake (Wales)
- Dan Sheehan (Ireland)
- George Turner (Scotland)
Tighthead-props:
- Zander Fagerson (Scotland)
- Tadhg Furlong (Ireland)
- Asher Opoku-Fordjour (England)
Locks:
- George Martin (England)
- Maro Itoje (England)
- James Ryan (Ireland)
- Tadhg Beirne (Ireland)
- Will Rowlands (Wales)
- Iain Henderson (Ireland)
Back Row:
- Jac Morgan (Wales)
- Tommy Reffell (Wales)
- Ben Earl (England)
- Caelan Doris (Ireland)
- Rory Darge (Scotland)
- Courtney Lawes/Tom Curry (England)
Scrum-Halves:
- Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland)
- Gareth Davies (Wales)
- Alex Mitchell (England)
Fly-Halves:
- Finn Russell (Scotland)
- George Ford (England)
- Marcus Smith (England)
They wrote: "he glaring omission, of course, is Owen Farrell (England) but given the uncertainty of his club and country future, the sensible call is to play it safe at this stage and leave him out. Farrell at 100 per cent, mentally and physically, walks into the squad. The selected trio, however, offer a potent blend of pragmatism and potency."
Notable omission: Owen Farrell is excluded due to uncertainties surrounding his future.
Centres:
- Bundee Aki (Ireland)
- Ollie Lawrence (England)
- Garry Ringrose (Ireland)
- Sione Tuipulotu (Scotland)
Wings:
- James Lowe (Ireland)
- Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland)
- Darcy Graham (Scotland)
- Mack Hansen (Ireland)
Full-backs:
- Hugo Keenan (Ireland)
- Freddie Steward (England)
Total Players by Nation: Ireland 13, England 11, Scotland 8, Wales 5.
Quiz! Can you name every player from England's 2003 Rugby World Cup squad?
This quiz tests your knowledge of that heralded group of 22 players who took on and beat the Wallabies in their own backyard on November 22, 2003.
Some of these are significantly easier than others.
