Other than picking your favourite 37 serial killers, there are very few lists that will cause as many problems on social media as picking your favoured British and Irish Lions’ squad to tour Australia. 

But before we start, we need a bit of context. Firstly, this squad assumes that all of the players listed will be fit. That doesn’t mean that someone who has snapped both legs and wrists will feature.

But it does mean that players who are currently injured, yet are assumed they will recover in time, have been selected. Secondly, it presumes that those playing in France will be selected even if they’re involved in the glory end of the Top 14.

My British & Irish Lions squad for Australia: Paul Williams

Loose head props

Andrew Porter (Ireland), Ellis Genge (England), Pierre Schoeman (Scotland)

On this tour loose head is a selection that’ll turn very few heads, as we all know who’s going. All three could start with no discernable drop in quality. But having said that, the choice at starting loose head is one where the ‘form pendulum’ has arguably swung hugely over the past 12 months.

What once seemed like Porter’s shirt, is now not so certain. Over the past 12 months referees have focused more closely on Porter’s scrummaging ‘angle’ and penalising it accordingly. Many pundits and supporters have commented, over the past few seasons, that Porter drives at an angle that even Pythagoras would blow his whistle for.

Whilst anecdotally the writer of this column has been told by a former elite prop, whose credentials are as good as any, that Porter is just stronger than most, and the angle is a result of dominance. Whoever gets selected at loosehead will be a worthy selection.

Preferred starting loose head – Ellis Genge

Hookers

Dan Sheehan (Ireland), Ronan Kelleher (Ireland), Jamie George (England)

Hooker is a selection where the Irish will rightly dominate.

In Dan Sheehan and Ronan Kelleher, they have the two finest hookers and by some distance – although Jamie George is not without his charms.

In some ways Ronan Kelleher is the Nick Evans (former All Black) of Irish rugby, in that he is an incredible player but stuck behind the Dan Carter of Irish hookers, Dan Sheehan. Sheehan is a generational talent and one who is redefining the position of hooker as he plays. 

Preferred starting hooker – Dan Sheehan

Tight head props

Tadhg Furlong (Ireland), Zander Fagerson (Scotland), Will Stuart (England)

Whilst the Wallabies scrum has improved over the past 18 months, it isn’t anticipated to be a problem for the Lions.

However, that doesn’t mean the Lions can simply take three ball carrying tight heads who are there merely to throw three ‘chicken wing’ offloads in the 15m channel – they still require the type of tight heads who can eat 150 chicken wings in 15 minutes.

24 months ago, the number three shirt would have been Tadhg Furlong’s. In fact, you could have argued that back then his name would be first on the team sheet. But that is no longer the case.

Zander Fagerson is arguably the most improved tighthead in world rugby. His scrummaging is weapons grade and so is his carrying. In Scotland’s system, Fagerson is used as a legit ball carrier, often racking up stats that rival number eights and even some outside centres from other test teams. 

Preferred starting tight head – Zander Ferguson

Read more: All the British & Irish Lions fixture in one place… 

Locks

Tadhg Beirne (Ireland), Maro Itoje (England), Joe McCarthy (Ireland), Ollie Chessum (England), Dafydd Jenkins (Wales)

The Lions are dripping in quality locks for this tour and not only dripping in quality, but also in the variety of skillsets available. In Itoje and McCarthy they have the option to go the traditional ‘monster’ route.

Whereas in Beirne they have the option to pick a 6ft 5inch lock who has the ability to ‘steal’ with the same ease as a 3ft 7inch Victorian street urchin. Dafydd Jenkins would be an unorthodox selection admittedly, but his work rate is ridiculous and probably illegal in many Scandinavian countries.

Preferred starting locks – Itoje and Beirne

Back-row 

Caelan Doris (Ireland), Tom Curry (England), Ben Earl (England), Jac Morgan (Wales), Josh van de Flier (Ireland), Jack Willis (England)

Lions’ squads are never short of back-row forwards, and this one will be no different. The reality is there are very few people in the world who are either 6ft 6 inches tall and 18 stone (locks) or 6ft tall and 19 stone (props).

There are however plentiful numbers of people who are 6ft 1inches tall, 15stone 5lbs, who will run all day long and enjoy getting hurt – hence the perennial back-row options.

Any combination of the above could play and be more than enough to compete with the Wallabies. With the above players, Farrell would have the option to pick a big ‘carrying’ back-row, a nimble ‘tackle and breakdown’ back-row or a more balanced back-row.

 Sadly, in these positions there will be stacks of good players who won’t feature at all – players like Rory Darge and Jamie Ritchie. The contentious selection may be seen as Jac Morgan because he plays for Wales, but he must tour. Just pretend he isn’t Welsh, and it makes things far easier.

Preferred starting back-row – Doris (eight), Curry (Seven), Morgan (Six)

Scrum-half

Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland), Ben White (Scotland), Tomos Williams (Wales)

Scrum-half is one of the positions where there is a clear stratum between the selections, in that Jamison Gibson Park is clearly ahead of the other two.

Gibson Park has arguably been sitting in his seat, on the aeroplane to Australia, for four years – imagine how many of those small packs of peanuts you could eat in four years.

We digress. Ben White deserves selection due to his Six Nations form and hopefully the position of Toulon, in the Top 14, won’t count against him. For those who’ve seen Tomos Williams play for Gloucester, away from the Welsh coaching setup, his selection will also be seen as worthy.

Preferred starting scrum-half – Jamison Gibson-Park

Related: When will the British & Irish Lions squad be announced? 

Fly-half

Finn Russell (Scotland), Marcus Smith (England), Owen Farrell (England)

Andy Farrell faces an intriguing selection at outside half, in that he isn’t facing the All Blacks or the Boks – this tour should be reasonably possession heavy.

And with that possession he doesn’t really need to dwell too much on having a ‘structured’ outside half. It’s a luxury that few Lion’s coaches have ever had and allows him to pick more overtly creative tens in Finn Russell and Marcus Smith.

But, and there’s always a but, if it does go wrong, then he’ll need a ‘structured’ ten to fix it, arguably a more senior ‘structured’ ten. The problem is that there aren’t many of those playing in England, Wales, Scotland or Ireland.

But there is one who’s playing in France, who happens to be his son. Shouts of nepotism should be ignored, with regards to Farrell the younger. If the feces hits the fan in Australia, Farrell senior will need a steady goal kicking/ territory focused option – sharpish.

The words “series defeat in Australia’ would be far more damaging and longer lasting than “nepotistic selection”.

Preferred starting outside half – Finn Russell

Centres

Sione Tuipulotu (Scotland), Bundee Aki (Ireland), Huw Jones (Scotland), Tom Jordan (Scotland), Robbie Henshaw (Ireland).

The pool of centres selected will largely dictate how the backline functions – especially with regards to Sione Tuipulotu.

If he is fit, which this column assumes he will be, then the Lions will have access to a true triple threat option at 12. Tuipulotu has a kick/pass/run skill set that very few in world rugby possess.

With Tuipulotu as the ‘drill’, Farrell would then just have to select the appropriate ‘drill bit’ at 13 – does he go ‘hammer’ with Bundee Aki, or something more suitable for tiles and glass – Huw Jones for example.

The outlier in this selection is of course Tom Jordan. But Jordan offers the opportunity to play a legit ten at 12, should needs be and also provides mid-week cover at outside half.

Preferred starting centres – Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones

Read more: Who are the British & Irish Lions playing in Australia? 

Back three

James Lowe (Ireland), Darcy Graham (Scotland), Duhan van de Merwe (Scotland) Mack Hansen (Ireland), Hugo Keenan (Ireland), Blair Kinghorn (Scotland)

As with back row selections, Lions’ squads are rarely short of options in the back three – and this tour will be no different.

18 months ago, if you’d suggested selecting Blair Kinghorn at fullback, over Hugo Keenan, then you’d have been potentially arrested by Gardai.

But now, even the most ardent supporter of Keenan would find it difficult to argue against that point.

Darcy Graham also has to be included. Graham is one of those players who falls foul of rugby’s desire to always pick oversized wings. But that is such an outdated concept, especially when you witness the Springboks making use of Cheslin Koble and Kurt-Lee Arendse etc. In a modern game with very little space, you sometimes need players who are able to get through those micro gaps.

Some may argue that Duhan van de Merwe doesn’t offer enough ‘without’ the ball. But that’s much like critising a nuclear weapon because all it does is blow things up.

Preferred starting back three – Blair Kinghorn, James Lowe, Darcy Graham.

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