British and Irish Lions potential bolters: Henry Pollock to make the plane?

By Charlie Elliott

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The British and Irish Lions squad selection is always the most hotly debated topic in rugby in the months leading up to selection. 

Many factors will come into play when Andy Farrell and his coaching staff decide who they are going to take to Australia. 

There are so many options in each position that talented players are bound to miss out. 

Surprises are sure to happen too, with plenty of potential bolters. 

Bolters are players who are relatively unknown or uncapped who unexpectedly make the team, often beating out more experienced players, like a horse-racing outsider that wins. 

For this list, players are considered if they have less than 10 Test caps, or if they made their international debut in 2024 or 2025. 

Fin Smith 

The obvious choice on this list, Fin Smith made his Test debut for England in the recent Six Nations and his Lions chances have flown up as a result. 

By the end of the tournament, he had benched Marcus Smith and was the starting 10 for Steve Borthwick‘s side. 

His ability to control a game alongside some unreal composure to slot crucial long-range kicks against France and Scotland showed some serious maturity to the 22-year-old’s game. 

With some good numbers on the tackle count as well, Smith can seemingly do no wrong at the moment and has put himself well in contention for a Lions shirt in the very competitive fly-half position. 

Interestingly, should he tour, he wouldn’t be the first from his family to do so. His grandad, Tom Elliot, toured to South Africa with the Lions in 1955. 

Henry Pollock 

Equally as talented as his Northampton Saints teammate Smith, Pollock has so much hype around him right now that there is a real chance that he could be the bolter of all bolters. 

Pollock only made his Test debut in the last Six Nations match against Wales, where he became the youngest player to score for England in the Six Nations. 

While that was the result of some very good performances for Saints from the 20-year-old, he has reached another level since making the step up to Test rugby seamlessly. 

His stats at the gym recently became public knowledge and the back row showed some absurd numbers in both strength and speed, showing just how much of an athletic monster he is. 

Technically, he is unbelievable and a recent try against Sale Sharks epitomised that ability. 

A generational talent and Andy Farrell will have to seriously consider him. 

Blair Murray 

Slightly more left field than the other two picks, Murray would be a serious bolter should he end up on the plane to Australia. 

Versatility is his best asset, as he can play across the back three and even at fly-half if needed, although on the Lions tour the latter will probably not be necessary given the strength of the position. 

Kiwi-born, since making his Wales debut in the Autumn of last year, he is now a solid starter and has been a shining light in the otherwise poor performances that have followed. 

Most at home at fullback, which is one of the weaker positions for Lions contenders, there is a real chance that he could go as a versatile option. 

Fast and agile on the ball, he would certainly be an exciting pick should he make it on the plane. 

Sam Prendergast 

Possibly the player on this list who divides opinion the most, Prendergast has undoubted potential, but the extent to which he is ready for Test rugby and Lions selection is debatable. 

As a fly-half, he is extremely exciting to watch and was very good at times for Ireland in the Six Nations, but also had some defensive issues when it came to his tackle statistics. 

He did effectively bench Jack Crowley, which shows just how highly he is rated in the setup by Lions coach Simon Easterby, who was interim at Ireland for the Championship. 

Being Irish, there could be preferential treatment from Farrell, who may be incentivised to select his own players ahead of others. 

It is easy to forget that he is still only 22 years old, so whatever happens this year, he has a bright future ahead. 

Chandler Cunningham-South 

Cunningham-South can just about be classed as a bolter given that he made his Test debut for England in the 2024 Six Nations, just over a year ago. 

He properly burst onto the scene during the Autumn Nations Series, but the hype around him has slowly died down. 

Despite this, the 21-year-old back and second row is a supreme talent and should be on Farrell’s radar. 

Playing for Harlequins, he won the Premiership Breakout Player of the Year award last season and has since established himself as part of England’s 23 often. 

Hugely physical and someone who likes to impose himself on the game, CCS would be a good option as someone who can play both in the back row and second row. 

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