The inside story on Warren Gatland's five ‘strangest' Lions call-ups

But not all of them came off... below we take a look at some of those players Gatland has called up since 2013.

If it was purely based on form and pedigree, the likes of England captain Dylan Hartley and lock Joe Launchbury would have been on their way to Auckland from Buenos Aires.  Brian O'Driscoll famously said of Hill, "I don't even know who he is,

Summoned from England duty in Argentina but part of a makeshift side which flopped against the Brumbies. This moment really felt like the moment that sent Twelvetrees international career downhill.

The one-cap England wide-man was called up to play in the Brumbies game but stole the show for his hair-combing off the field, not his rugby. Wade possessed an abundance of speed and could finish, but looked very raw and didn’t relish defensive duties when called upon.

Called in as cover for the injured Alex Corbisiero, Court was a highly surprising choice to be drafted in not least because his status as an automatic squad pick for Irish internationals was venturing on shaky ground at that time.

It just so happened, however, that he was holidaying in Australia at the time – minimal travel time seemingly something which appeals to Gatland. In all he played, 25 minutes against the Melbourne Rebels

DID YOU KNOW? He qualified to play international rugby for Ireland through his Grandfather

There was no disputing Williams’ place in the Lions squad in 2005, with the Welsh legend equalling a record five tries in a single game against Manawatu as if to hammer that point home. However, by 2013 the wing was 36, playing his club rugby for the Mitsubishi Dynaboars in Japan and was, like Court, conveniently in Australia anyway to work for the tour as a radio commentator.

Nonetheless, he was drafted for three days to play a tour match against Brumbies, in which he was named on the starting lineup.