Looking ahead to the next Lions Tour, we try to predict which players could be earning test caps in New Zealand in 2029
With the 2025 tour to Australia barely even finished, I thought it would be a good opportunity to predict my British & Irish Lions Test XV to play New Zealand in 2029.
An unenviable, thankless task, predicting a team for four years out is about as pointless as trying to guess which sport Louis Rees-Zammit will be playing next week.
But, still brimming with Lions fever, I thought I would give it a go.
There are a million and one reasons why I may be wide of the mark with my guestimations. Injuries, retirements, loss of form and players who come from nowhere to earn their spot. After all, did anybody have Henry Pollock down as a future Lion in 2021?
It is also worth noting that as things stand, Andy Farrell will be head coach once again. The 2025 boss confirmed his interest in the role in New Zealand and Lions CEO Ben Calverley has all but confirmed it is his should he decide to take it.
So that is another factor to consider. Will the 2029 tourists have the same Irish weighting or will the rugby landscape shifted by then? The latter is what we should assume.
With that being said, below is what I think could be the 1st Test team to face the All Blacks in 2029…
Editor Joe Robinson’s British & Irish Lions 2029 1st Test XV
Lions XV to face the All Blacks in 2029
- Asher Opoku-Fordjour, England
- Dan Sheehan, Ireland
- Thomas Clarkson, Ireland
- Maro Itoje, England (C)
- Joe McCarthy, Ireland
- Ollie Chessum, England
- Jac Morgan, Wales
- Caelan Doris, Ireland
- Jack van Poortvliet, England
- Fin Smith, England
- Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, England
- Tom Jordan, Scotland
- Tommy Freeman, England
- Tom Roebuck, England
- Blair Murray, Wales
Replacements: 16. Dewi Lake, Wales. 17. Fin Baxter, England. 18. Will Stuart, England. 19. Dafydd Jenkins, Wales. 20. Henry Pollock, England. 21. Craig Casey, Ireland. 22. Sam Prendergast, Ireland. 23. Jamie Osborne, Ireland.
Front row: Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Dan Sheehan, Thomas Clarkson
Tadhg Furlong will be 36, Ellis Genge will be 34, Andrew Porter will be 33, Finlay Bealham will be 37, Pierre Schoeman will be 35. One or two may make it to New Zealand but the next Lions Tour will likely see a new wave of props enter Lions lore, led by two men who were given a taste of it this year, Ireland’s Thomas Clarkson and England’s Asher Opoku, Fordjour.
In reserve will be the ever-improving Fin Baxter while Will Stuart will provide the experience off the bench for a second consecutive Tour. Other tourists could include Afolabi Fasogbon
Dan Sheehan will continue his trajectory as the best hooker in the world and will be a key to the Lions yet again in 2029. In reserve will be injury-free Dewi Lake who will be plying his trade beyond Wales. Another prediction of ours is that England U20 star Kepu Tuipulotu will also tour.
Second row: Maro Itoje, Joe McCarthy
Captain Maro Itoje celebrates the Lions’ Test-series victory with his Player of the Match medal (Inpho)
Every victorious Lions Tour captain of the professional era has gone on to captain the next series (Martin Johnson in 1997 and 2001, Sam Warburton in 2013 and 2017). The odds of captain Itoje doing the same are high.
He will be 34 by the time New Zealand comes but we foresee him remaining as one of the best in the world and doubling up like his successful predecessors. It would also see Itoje tour for a fourth time and potentially earn 12 Lions caps, something that is rare as hen’s teeth.
Partnering him will be Irish enforcer Joe McCarthy with Wales’ Dafydd Jenkins providing ballast from the bench. Hopefully Leicester Tigers and England lock George Martin will be back to full health as he would be very handy in New Zealand.
Others options could be Junior Kpoku and Cormac Izuchukwu.
Read more: The cheeky response Andy Farrell gave Tadhg Beirne when he hinted at a third Lions Tour
Back row: Ollie Chessum, Jac Morgan, Caelan Doris
The biggest absence from this year’s squad was injured Caelan Doris. In 2029, fitness permitting, the Irish No.8 finally gets his change to become a Lion and is a nailed-on starter.
To his flanks will be familiar faces in Ollie Chessum and cult hero Jac Morgan. In four years, I suspect Morgan’s status as the sole Welshman will no longer be the case.
On the bench will be Henry Pollock, this year’s youngest tourist, offering up his helter skelter approach to rugby. He will be only 24 by the time of the next tour.
Back row will no doubt remain one of the squads strongest positions. One name who we could see tour is that of Bath flanker Guy Pepper. He is seriously good.
Half-backs: Jack van Poortvliet and Fin Smith
Fin Smith should tour with the Lions in 2029 (©INPHO/Dan Sheridan)
Scrum-half is a tough call. Tomos Williams and Jamison Gibson-Park will not tour in 2029. Alex Mitchell could return but he will be 32. The pool of talent is also not the strongest across the four unions at present either.
Coaches clearly see a lot good in Jack van Poortvliet so I see him being a leading candidate for the 9 shirt. Meanwhile, Craig Casey will take over from Gibson-Park in the green of Ireland and could also be called into Lions duty. It really is anybody’s guess.
Fly-half feels more secure. Another four years of experience and Fin Smith will go from mid-week Lions to Test Lion, keeping Ireland’s Sam Prendergast at bay. Both will be 26 and hitting their primes.
Marcus Smith could be a surprise three-time tourist should he continue this fly-half/full-back combination role.
Read more: Fin Smith on his British & Irish Lions dream
Centres: Tom Jordan, Tommy Freeman
Tom Jordan’s impending switch to Bristol Bears will take his game to a new level as he becomes a more regular feature for Scotland. Pace, power and skill, he will be perfect for life in New Zealand, the country of his birth.
Joining him will be current winger Tommy Freeman who will have been switched to outside centre by Steve Borthwick and England. It is a move that is bound to happen and one that will prove successful as the big runner proves a handful in the midfield.
England’s Ollie Lawrence could tour if he returns to his pre-injury form while Ireland’s Jamie Osborne will take over the role of Lions Swiss army knife from Elliot Daly with his ability to play across the entire back line.
Back three: Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Tom Roebuck, Blair Murray
Had it not been for injury and suspension, England’s Immanuel Feyi-Waboso would have toured this year. Left wing was a problem position for Farrell this Tour and the electric Feyi-Waboso was the antidote to James Lowe and Duhan van der Merwe’s poor performances.
Benefitting from Freeman’s move to centre, Tom Roebuck is in pole position to become England’s starting right wing. Watch the Prem and you will realise how good he is. I think we see the Wirral lad develop into a world-class talent over the next four years.
The return of Louis Rees-Zammit to rugby and Henry Arundell back to the Prem is also exciting. Two phenomenal talents when they broke on the scene, could they get back to the top of the sport and earn Lions call-ups? I hope so.
At full-back, returning back to New Zealand, is Blair Murray. The pocket rocket playing for Wales is the ball player you need to go toe-to-toe with the All Blacks. Blair Kinghorn could also tour while Mack Hansen must feel like he could push for another tour considering his versatility.
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