Itoje has chance to captain the Lions
JEREMY GUSCOTT
OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE… EVERY WEEK
THERE will be a special edge to the coming season because of the 2025 Lions tour of Australia. The selection race will drive the elite game in England as our players strive to secure places ahead of their rivals in Ireland, Wales, and Scotland.
So, how many England players would currently make the tour party, let alone the starting 23 for the three Test matches against the Wallabies next July/August?
One of the best yardsticks out there is Ben Earl, who was England's stand-out player of last season – and therefore would be thought by many to be a very strong contender for the test team. However, my take is that Earl might struggle to get into a Lions Test side either this year, or next. This is purely a product of the everything-on-the-line level of competition that each player faces to make the squad, let alone play for the Test team.
All you have to do is look at the steep climb Earl faces to get above an Irish back row contingent of Caelan Doris and Jack Conan at No.8, and Josh van der Flier at openside. Another factor is that the Lions are often flexible in the way they move players around, especially in the back row – such as in 1997 when Lawrence Dallaglio switched from No.8 to blindside, with Tim Rodber playing No.8.
In a Lions season Earl really has to pace himself, and make sure he gets enough rest so he can peak when he needs to. Having played very well in the World Cup, and then in the Six Nations, it was noticeable that on the tour of New Zealand he did not stand out in the same way against the All Blacks. It's why he has to get the full benefit from his later start to the club season, due to being on international duty over the summer.
In many ways Maro Itoje is the best-placed England forward, mainly because he stands tall on reputation through his high quality consistency, including for the 2017 and 2021 Lions. Although last year Itoje did drop down for a while to 7/10 performances, which were average by his standards, he has become better and better since the 2023 World Cup.
Itoje is now regularly back to a 9/10 standard, and his top-end consistency explains why he might just be an outside bet to be Lions captain, which is one of the hardest jobs in the game.
Itoje recognises that every season you start from zero – particularly if it peaks with a Lions tour – and it is why no England tour hopefuls can afford to have an average 2025 Six Nations. If you don't pitch up and show form, then the Lions will not pick you. You've got to be on it!
“Selection for 2025 tour to Australia will drive the elite game in England in coming season”
Jamie George looks the likeliest of England's front-row veterans to squeeze in, but there's big competition at hooker with the Irish duo Dan Sheehan and Ronan Kelleher leading the way.
England back five forwards like Chandler Cunningham-South and Ollie Chessum have the versatility and mobility to challenge for the tour, despite neither of them having played much international rugby – and the same applies to Leicester lock George Martin.
They should be fresh by comparison with some of the regulars in the Ireland pack who have made such an impact under Andy Farrell in winning two successive Six Nations titles in the last two years, including a 2023 Grand Slam.
However, wearing his Lions head coach hat, Farrell cannot have too many young, eager, full-of-energy big men like Martin, Chessum, and Cunningham-South vying for places. Now all they have to do is get super-fit.
Of all the players in the England backline, Tommy Freeman stands a great chance of going on his first Lions tour. The Northampton wing/centre is one of the most exciting players in world rugby – and if he produces more of the same this season he can't be ignored.
The same is true of Immanuel Feyi-Waboso. The Exeter wing is right up there, and is at the top of the ‘very difficult to read' category because of the way he bounces off contact and slides out of tackles.
At fly-half Finn Russell is the leading candidate by a stretch, but when it comes to both Marcus Smith and Fin Smith being in contention, why not? They are good enough, and Marcus not only has the experience of being called into the 2021 Lions tour party, but has also already played in 34 Tests for England.
There could be a complication if George Ford – who never made a Lions squad in the Warren Gatland era – is England coach Steve Borthwick's first choice 10. It would mean that whatever previous reservations there were, Ford would have to be an option.
Two more England backs in the reckoning are George Furbank at full back and Ollie Lawrence at centre. At the moment, Ireland's Hugo Keenan is first choice at 15 for the Lions, but Furbank is capable of challenging him, while Lawrence has to get his hands on the ball more in order to improve further on what he's done over the last 18 months.
Alex Mitchell will be in the Lions running at scrum-half if he can keep his England place, but getting ahead of Irish front-runner Jamison Gibson-Park is a tough task.
It's why England's visit to Dublin to play Ireland in the opening round of the Six Nations could prove crucial to the Lions hopes of players from both countries. I remember making the same journey before the 1993 Lions tour, and when we lost at Lansdowne Road it cut a few England players out of the squad.
Ireland are still the team in pole position in selection, but whatever happens in Dublin I fancy England, who have three home games, to do well in this Six Nations.
Another talking point is that this Lions tour could feature one of the smallest Wales contingents we've ever seen. However, I'm not prepared to write them off, especially if flanker Jac Morgan returns as an inspirational leader.
Morgan is a special player, and seems to me to be an automatic Lions choice because of the way in which his confidence transmits to the whole team, and gets the mentality in the right place. It's how he galvanises the Welsh – and he could do the same for the Lions.
