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Picking a British and Irish lions XV in no doubt a pointless activity with fifteen months to go but that doesn’t stop me and fellow rugby aficionados procrastinating over potential Lions combinations after a great Six Nations.
15: Stuart Hogg
Hogg backed up his impressive last year’s Six Nations campaign admirably with another spectacular season.
Hogg demonstrated his full skillset in this year’s tournament with intelligent offloads against France and impressive sidestepping. His main contender for the 15 jersey is likely to come in the form of Grand Slam winner Mike Brown.
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14: George North
He appears to be getting back to the form that made him the most sought-after winger in European rugby three years ago. North demonstrated some good footwork and had the most amount of clean breaks with ten at this year’s Six Nations. He also beat the most defenders with ball in hand.
13: Jonathon Joseph
Started the Six Nations strongly and bagged a hat-trick of tries against Italy. Ireland and France managed to subdue the Englishman later in the competition, but he gets the position due to promise showed in last year’s Six Nations and World Cup. Mark Bennett and Jonathan Davies will also compete for the 13 jersey.
12: Robbie Henshaw
Jamie Roberts had a very impressive Six Nations campaign and came out on top of his duel with Henshaw in the opening round of fixtures. However, if the Lions want to play an expansive running game Henshaw’s combination of strong running and offloading could be key.
11: Anthony Watson
Watson made six line breaks for England at the Six Nations and was a constant threat with ball in hand.
Arguably the only player with a guaranteed spot in the starting team. Expect one of Christian Wade or Craig Gilroy to also make the Lions squad.
10: Jonathon Sexton
Perhaps the most subjective call here. Dan Biggar starred in the World Cup and is a very reliable goal kicker.
However, Sexton is arguably the most complete fly-half in the Northern Hemisphere with the ability to combine pinpoint kicking with a sophisticated attacking game.
9: Rhys Webb
The man from Ospreys brings a speed to the breakdown which allows an outside half like Sexton or Dan Biggar to control a game. Like Sexton at fly-half, Webb is the most complete scrum-half in the northern Hemisphere. Combines a solid kicking game with crisp passing.
8: Billy Vunipola
The battle between Billy Vunipola and Taulupe faletau will be titanic. The New Zealand Super Rugby players will have to tackle these two men low during the warm-up games. Both men will be on a mission to blow as many men out of the way as possible.
7: John Hardie
John Hardie is the perfect number seven for the fluid attacking game the Lions will try to play. Quick to the breakdown, a combination of Hardie and Sean O’Brien is mouth-watering. His biggest competition is likely to come in the form of Sam Warbuton, O’Brien himself and Justin Tipuric. Could Steffon Armitage make a Lions squad managed by Eddie Jones or Warren Gatland?
6: Sean O’Brien
Sean O’Brien has often played well against Southern Hemisphere opposition. His combination of powerful carries and soft offloads makes him the perfect candidate for number six jersey. There could easily be four Irishmen competing for the six slot as C.J Stander, Peter O’Mahony and Ian Henderson have all impressed in recent years.
5: Alu Wyn Jones
Jones is likely to captain the Lions as he has the required experience and leadership. He would be the perfect man for Itoje to learn off of. His competition is likely to come in the form of the bulky George Kruis from England and the equally bulky Richie Gray from Scotland.
4: Maro Itoje
Arguably the surprise of the Six Nations, Maro Itoje has been compared to Brodie Retallick on numerous occasions since his to prominence. He has a good rugby intellect that compliments his bulk and aggression nicely. His competition is likely to come in the form of Scotland’s Jonny Gray.
3: Dan Cole
Like many English players seems to have a new lease of life under Eddie Jones. He has steadied the scrum while also having a big impact in open play. A good example of this was his explosive run that led to the second English try in the Grand slam decider. His opposition is likely to come in the form of Samson Lee and WP Nel.
2: Dylan Hartley
Northampton man Hartley led England to Grand Slam glory and was at the heart of the most impressive lineout in the championship. Competition for this jersey isn’t as fierce as other positions, with only Sean Cronin and Jamie George as real threats to jersey.
1: Jack McGrath
The two most explosive loosehead props in Northern Hemisphere rugby hail from Ireland. Cian Healy and Jack McGrath get through a huge amount of work on the pitch. Both men are renowned for their ridiculous strength and would fancy themselves to put some serious pressure on the New Zealand scrum.
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