The 5 best England players who were denied the ultimate rugby honour

Injuries and bad timing meant the speedster never managed to win a Test cap for the Lions. Cohen was a member of the team that won the 2003 Rugby World Cup, scoring 31 tries in his 57 caps between 2000 and 2006.

In June 2001, he did join the Lions tour to Australia, and although he did not figure in the Tests series he did score twice in the midweek match against New South Wales Country Cockatoos at Coffs Harbour.

DID YOU KNOW? He is clinically deaf, with about 30 to 33 percent hearing loss in each ear, and has been involved in efforts to make rugby more accessible to the hard of hearing, especially young deaf players.

Arguably one of England's most consistent performers of his era, Tindall was a key member of the side that captured the Rugby World Cup crown in 2003.

But during his career, which was at times a stop-start affair because of injury, he was never able to go on tour with the Lions.

DID YOU KNOW? Tindall was named a replacement for the Barbarians against the British and Irish Lions as part of their 2013 tour to Australia.

One of the most potent wingers England ever produced, Dan Luger looked set to be included in the 2001 test side after scoring four tries in two matches against Western Australia and the Queensland Reds.

However, after fracturing his cheekbone in a training ground collision with Neil Back, Luger was ruled out of the series.

DID YOU KNOW? In 2009, along with Olympic medalists, Jason Gardener and Craig MacLean, and World Championship medal-winning decathlete, Dean Macey, he took part in the British Bobsleigh Championships at Cesana Pariol in Italy

Strange as it may be to include a player who gained just five international caps in his career, Armitage was an utterly dominant back-rower in his prime. A casualty of England’s overseas player policy, he was a bulldozing, ball-winning force for the supremely successful Toulon side of the early to mid-2010s.

DID YOU KNOW? Armitage began his professional rugby career at Saracens, before signing for London Irish in 2006

A Lions tourist in 2013 had it not been for his asinine slur directed at Wayne Barnes, this will rank as one of the hookers greatest regrets throughout his career. After coming so close and having the chance taken away from him, the former England captain simply missed out in 2017.

DID YOU KNOW? Hartley was born one of three boys (his brothers are Blair and Alex) in Rotorua, a largely rural area in northern New Zealand