British and Irish Lions

This is where you will find all of The Rugby Paper’s British and Irish Lions news, interviews, reports, opinion and other content.

British & Irish Lions win first Test against Wallabies

22 June 2013 1 comment

The British and Irish Lions beat Australia 23-21 in a brutal first Test in Brisbane to take a 1-0 advantage in the three-match series. Tries […]

New Lion Billy Twelvetrees was once allowed to escape as a Tiger

21 June 2013 1 comment

Billy Twelvetrees has gone from uncapped England contender to Lions tourist in the space of five months but, remarkably, he was once considered surplus to […]

Justin Tipuric’s the flanker for me, says Jim Telfer

19 June 2013 1 comment

Warren Gatland has backed himself into a corner by naming Sam Warburton as Lions captain according to Jim Telfer, who believes Justin Tipuric is the man […]

First taste of defeat for outplayed British & Irish Lions against Brumbies

18 June 2013 1 comment

The Brumbies outplayed the British & Irish Lions to claim a famous 14-12 win in Canberra today. True to their style, the Super Rugby leaders […]

British & Irish Lions beat Waratahs but lose Jamie Roberts

15 June 2013 1 comment

The British & Irish Lions overcame a plucky New South Wales Waratahs to maintain their one hundred percent record with a 47-17 win in Sydney […]

Paul O’Connell alongside Richie Gray for me – Simon Shaw

13 June 2013 1 comment

The lack of a traditional heavyweight lock could see Richie Gray earn a spot in the Lions Test team, according to three-time tourist Simon Shaw. […]

Suffering Lions ‘should have called up wrecker Andrew Sheridan’

12 June 2013 1 comment

As Lions props drop by the day, former Wallaby front row Matt Dunning admits he cannot believe Warren Gatland has not called up Andrew Sheridan […]

Ten-try rout for sloppy British & Irish Lions in Newcastle

11 June 2013 1 comment

The British & Irish remained unbeaten in their tour of Australia with a 64-0 win over the New South Wales and Queensland Combined Country in […]

British & Irish Lions overcome feisty Queensland Reds

8 June 2013 1 comment

The British & Irish Lions faced their toughest challenge since the start of their tour of Australian but they remained unbeaten with a 22-12 win […]

Sam Warburton returns to captain British & Irish Lions against Reds

6 June 2013 0 comments

Sam Warburton has recovered from his knee injury and will captain the British & Irish Lions against the Queensland Reds on Saturday. The Welsh openside […]

Nine-try rout for British & Irish Lions against Western Force

5 June 2013 0 comments

The British & Irish Lions have made a successful start to their tour of Australia with a convincing 69-17 win over the Western Force in […]

Wallabies have what it takes insists Dean Mumm

5 June 2013 0 comments

Dean Mumm became the first Australian to take on the Lions in 2013 last Saturday when he ran out for the Barbarians – and despite […]

James Horwill: My Wallabies won’t be punchbags

4 June 2013 2 comments

Australia captain James Horwill issued the Lions a fighting challenge last night, warning that the Wallabies will match them blow for blow. “We are not […]

I won’t be watching the Lions says Toby Flood

22 May 2013 1 comment

Toby Flood aims to deliver his own personal snub to the British and Irish Lions … by not bothering to watch them on TV! The […]

Israel Folau in, Quade Cooper out for Wallabies to face Lions

19 May 2013 1 comment

Cross-code convert Israel Foau is set to become a dual-code international after being named in Robbie Deans’ initial Wallabies squad to face the British & […]

Andy Robinson: My three Lions to scatter the Wallabies

17 May 2013 0 comments

Former England and Scotland head coach Andy Robinson has earmarked Justin Tipuric, Tom Youngs and Leigh Halfpenny as his Lions players to dazzle during the […]

Power will be on from first scrum – Richard Hibbard

16 May 2013 0 comments

Hooker Richard Hibbard says the Lions need to take referees out of the equation by dominating from the first scrum to the last against Australia. […]

“I’m used to being snubbed,” says James Hook

8 May 2013 2 comments

James Hook has made a frank admission about his international future after being excluded by the Lions and Wales on successive days. “It’s obvious that […]

Captain Sam Warburton has winning ways with the referees

7 May 2013 0 comments

Warren Gatland has revealed that a crucial component in his appointment of Sam Warburton as captain of the 2013 Lions was his ability to get […]

Warren Gatland names British and Irish Lions squad

30 April 2013 0 comments

Warren Gatland has announced his British and Irish Lions squad to tour Australia this summer. Welshman Sam Warburton will captain the squad, which includes 15 […]

Michael Owen backs Tom Wood for Lions No.8 spot

14 March 2013 1 comment

This time last year Tom Wood feared he would never properly recover from his toe injury – 12 months on and he is leading the […]

I’d make Justin Tipuric my Lions No.7 says Jim Telfer

6 March 2013 1 comment

Justin Tipuric will form part of an Anglo-Welsh back row in the Lions‘ Test team this summer, according to one of the world’s legendary coaches. […]

Geoff Parling can boss the Lions, says Aussie great Nathan Sharpe

21 February 2013 0 comments

Nathan Sharpe, one of the great Wallaby locks, believes Geoff Parling will be given the responsibility to ‘marshal the cattle’ as the Lions lineout caller […]

Stuart Hogg could grab the limelight for the Lions

20 February 2013 0 comments

When full-back Stuart Hogg made his Scotland debut as a 19-year-old last year he was following in the exact footsteps of his mentor, the former […]

British and Irish Lions’ fans fury over Australian ticket hike

19 February 2013 3 comments

A massive levy on Test match tickets is causing fury among Lions fans wanting to travel to Australia this summer. Face price for Test tickets […]

Leigh Halfpenny boots Lions’ fly-half debate into new territory

15 February 2013 0 comments

Former Lions fly-half Stephen Jones insists the form of Leigh Halfpenny means this summer’s No.10 battle is not as simple as a two-way shootout at […]

£100,000 each – cost of a Lion in Australia

15 January 2013 3 comments

The Lions have agreed to pay out more than £100,000 for every player chosen to go to Australia at the end of the season. In […]

Nick Cain talks to Warren Gatland about the 2013 tourists to Australia

16 December 2012 0 comments

When Warren Gatland held court at Cardiff Castle this week to do an early 2013 Lions stock-take with the autumn series in its last knockings, […]

Andy Farrell and Graham Rowntree confirmed as Lions coaches

12 December 2012 1 comment

As expected, England duo Andy Farrell, Graham Rowntree have been confirmed as Warren Gatland‘s Lions assistants for next summer’s tour of Australia today. England’s defence […]

Manu Tuilagi has Mike Tindall’s Lions vote, but not everyone’s impressed

12 December 2012 0 comments

Manu Tuilagi‘s display against New Zealand makes him a certainty for next year’s Lions tour of Australia, according to former England centre Mike Tindall. But […]

Irish rookie Craig Gilroy ‘has X-factor to be a Lion’

5 December 2012 0 comments

Craig Gilroy has the type of X-factor that could see him go from international novice to Lions starter within a season according to one of […]

Lions Greatest XV: full-backs

29 November 2012 1 comment

As the last line of defence, the full-back must be a good tackler with safe hands and a fair bit of pace to come into […]

Lions Greatest XV: Wingers

22 November 2012 1 comment

When it comes to the finishers who play in the two wing positions The Lions come second to no-one. A list of Lions’ wingers reads […]

Lions Greatest XV: centres

15 November 2012 0 comments

Centres are the playmakers and finishers who make the most of the chances created by the fly-halves inside them, and The Lions have had some […]

Lions Greatest XV: fly-halves

7 November 2012 0 comments

When it comes to making the big decisions that determine whether a series is won or lost, Lions fly-halves have always been in the thick […]

Lions Greatest XV: scrum-halves

1 November 2012 0 comments

The best scrum-half I have seen, or am ever likely to see – that was the verdict on Gareth Edwards from Willie John McBride, the […]

Armitage brothers look for Lions spot

31 October 2012 0 comments

The Armitage brothers have accepted they stand more chance of playing for the Lions than they do of getting a recall to Stuart Lancaster‘s England […]

Lions greatest XV: No.8

25 October 2012 1 comment

The position in the middle of the back row is tactically one of the most influential on the pitch, because the ball is either in […]

Lions greatest XV: Fergus Slattery (1974) – openside

14 October 2012 0 comments

There is a body of opinion that the role of the openside flanker has changed significantly in the 41 years since The 1971 Lions Tour, […]

“Warren Gatland must hold his nerve over Lions team,” says Ian McGeechan

12 October 2012 0 comments

In an era when even the finest rugby coaches have a drastically short shelf-life, Sir Ian McGeechan’s longevity of service with the Lions – the […]

Brilliant Brian O’Driscoll is early charger for Lions place

11 October 2012 0 comments

Selecting a Lions team from the ranks of the Aviva Premiership and the RaboDirect Pro12 is a fraught business at this stage of the season. […]

Lions greatest XV: Roger Utley (1974) – blindside

7 October 2012 0 comments

When the going gets tough, blindside flankers get going – and in Peter Dixon and Derek Quinnell (1971), Roger Uttley (1974), Mike Teague (1989), Ben […]

Lions greatest XV: Willie John Mcbride (1974) and Martin Johnson (1997) – locks

30 September 2012 0 comments

When it comes to the big second row turbines which drive the pack The Lions have been able to call on some of the most […]

Lions greatest XV: Jason Leonard (1989) – tighthead

23 September 2012 0 comments

L ions tight head props are the strongest of the strong, the men with iron-girder necks, backs and legs who have to absorb and transmit […]

Jeremy Guscott: Gatland musn’t go looking for problems

22 September 2012 0 comments

I was surprised when Warren Gatland came out with the view that overseas-based players, especially those in France, could rule themselves out of contention for […]

Lions greatest XV: Brian Moore (1989) – hooker

16 September 2012 1 comment

When the British & Irish Lions embark on their Tour of Australia next summer, their army of fans will be ready to hail new heroes. […]

“Jonny Wilkinson remains in the frame,” says Warren Gatland

12 September 2012 0 comments

Jonny Wilkinson is not yesterday’s man as far as Lions coach Warren Gatland is concerned. Gatland opened the door to the 2003 England World Cup […]

Wallabies get set to cash in on the Lions

11 September 2012 0 comments

The Australians have drawn up plans to cash in on the Lions by charging £200 a ticket for the three-Test series. As proof that there […]

Lions greatest XV: Ian Mclauchlan (1971-1974) – loosehead

9 September 2012 0 comments

The Lions have fielded some of the greatest props the game has seen, mirroring the finest scrummaging tradition within the four Home Unions. Paramount among […]

British and Irish Lions eye Leinster’s Joe Schmidt as Gatland back-up

28 August 2012 0 comments

The Lions are to consider a second New Zealand contender for next year’s three-Test series in Australia – Leinster head coach Joe Schmidt. Kiwi Warren […]

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