The FIVE best England players to never play for the Lions

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

An international career that spanned almost a decade and notching up 50 tries for Bath would surely be enough to push the Lions. Playing at centre he was capped 38 times by his country and posed a deadly threat with ball in hand.

Injuries and bad timing meant the speedster never managed to win a Test cap. Cohen was a member of the England national 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.

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 due to injury, he was never able to go on tour with the Lions.

Some things are just not meant to be.

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.

Being captain of your country does not earn you a place in a Lions squad by right, as Chris Robshaw found out in 2013. He then picked up an injury at a crucial time before the tour in 2017. Maybe didn’t quite have athleticism or explosiveness needed to become a Lion.

DID YOU KNOW? He was engaged to his girlfriend of 6 years, Camilla Kerslake, before they married in France on 29 June 2018