Whether it is rugby union newbie Jason Robinson being jetted into the 2001 tour to Australia or an uncapped Will Greenwood travelling to South Africa in 1997, a British & Irish Lions tour only feels right if there are one or two bolters in the squad.

It’s one of the traditions that make the Lions tour what it is.

When Andy Farrell names his squad for this year’s journey Down under on the 8 May, the majority of those on the plane will be obvious picks. But one or two will have come from left field.

We’ve picked 12 such players who could fit the mould…

Read More: All you need to know about the 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia

1. NICKY SMITH, Wales

Most observers will agree that Ireland’s Andrew Porter and England’s Ellis Genge are the first two loosehead props on the plane to Australia this summer. The question is who is the third option? May we present to you Nicky Smith of Leicester Tigers and Wales.

He usurped Gareth Thomas as a starter in the Six Nations and contributed to the best scrum win percentage of any home nation (85%) – one of the few things that went well for Wales during the championship. Smith could sneak it ahead of Scotland’s Pierre Schoeman.

2. OWEN FARRELL, England

Ooh la la! While Owen Farrell’s time in Paris has been as stinky as an Epoisses de Bourgogne, don’t be surprised if head coach Andy Farrell calls upon his son for a fourth Lions tour.

An option at fly-half or centre, the 33-years-old’s selection wouldn’t be based on current performances but on his impressive back catalogue. Fly-half is a position still up for grabs and his vast experience could be a trump card for selection.

Farrell is renowned as one of rugby’s great modern leaders, a man who drives standards and crucially is someone who knows what it takes to win a Lions tour.

3. JACK CONAN, Ireland

Can a man who started all three Tests on the last Lions tour really be considered a ‘bolter’? Possibly not but we’re including Conan anyway.

The Irishman is one of the more unsung players in world rugby. While plaudits fly for brethren Caelan Doris and Josh van der Flier, Conan was Ireland’s emergency glass during the recent Six Nations, helping to dig them out of a few tricky spots.

The No 8’s consistently good performances make him a safe bet for Farrell, who could see him as his midweek man at the back of the scrum.

4. COURTNEY LAWES, England

“Abso-bloody-lutely” was Lawes’s response to whether he fancied a third Lions tour this summer. Now plying his trade for Brive in France’s Pro D2, those in the know claim that the 36-year-old is still putting in those classic Lawes performances across the Channel.

The back row is probably the most competitive spot for this Lions tour, which will go against Lawes, but his versatility to play in the row and experience from two previous tours gives him something other blindsides in consideration don’t have. If Lawes goes to Australia this summer, we’re not complaining.

5. DAFYDD JENKINS, Wales

The big man from Bridgend could nick a spot in the Lions row this summer.

Maro Itoje and Tadhg Beirne are nailed on for the plane but beyond that, a few second-row options had Six Nations campaigns to forget. Ireland duo James Ryan and Joe McCarthy are out of form and England’s George Martin is struggling with injury.

Ollie Chessum should go as a lock/blindside, so why not Jenkins as your fourth lock option? Big hitter, good lineout option and full of promise.

6. JACK WILLIS, England

It doesn’t matter that Willis plays his rugby in France, could be unavailable for the first few tour games due to the Top 14 play-offs and hasn’t played for England since the 2023 World Cup – he simply has to be on the plane.

The former Wasp is the best openside available to the Lions. That might seem a massive claim considering the deluge of back-row talent but we’ve been watching him closely for Toulouse, the best club team in the world, and he has been outstanding since joining in 2022.

The man is made to play rugby at the highest level, is a serial big-game winner and would be a difference-maker in the Test series. Faz, get him on the plane whatever it takes!

Related: All the 2025 British & Irish Lions tour fixtures in one place

7. HENRY POLLOCK, England

To curate this shortlist of 12 Lions bolters, we put an email out to the wider team to get some suggestions. Our own Alan Pearey was very clear on one inclusion – Henry Pollock.

“Get him in the squad! His age and inexperience at Test level is irrelevant, he is a phenomenal talent.” A day later, he strengthened Pearey’s plea with an absurd chip-and-chase try against Sale Sharks in the Premiership.

Pollock is part of a new breed of young player who knows they’re good and are happy to tell you as much – something we think would go down well in Australia.

It’s fair enough too, as the 20-year-old has taken to senior rugby like a duck to water, scoring two tries on his Test debut against Wales in the Six Nations. He would be an energiser – and so much more – for the tourists.

8. IMMANUEL FEYI-WABOSO, England

Exeter winger Feyi-Waboso has been out of action with a shoulder injury he sustained in December and then aggravated in camp with England in late February.

The timeline for recovery was quoted at 12 to 14 weeks which, if our GCSE maths is correct, takes us to the beginning of June – two weeks before the Lions’ warm-up in Dublin against Argentina and three weeks after Farrell’s initial squad selection.

If Feyi-Waboso goes, it’s likely his most recent game of rugby will have been against Sale prior to Christmas. It would be risky but he has extraordinary skills and genuine X-Factor.

9. JACK CROWLEY, Ireland

Anyone else think that Crowley showed how classy a player he was in the recent Six Nations? Dropped for Sam Prendergast, he went from chosen son to unfortunate one in the eyes of the Irish national team.

Yet while the green ten shirt was entrusted to Prendergast, his performances weren’t always convincing and it was Crowley who had to steady the ship. That’s something he’s done too with Munster, his exquisite drop-goal at La Rochelle illustrating his game management.

The talk is of Prendergast, 22, being the Lions fly-half bolter but we see a world in which Farrell reverts to the man who guided Ireland to the 2024 Six Nations and who could be the supplementary tonic to attacking fly-half Finn Russell.

10. GEORGE FORD, England

The thought behind this selection is that the fly-half position is lacking a wise head. Finn Russell is experienced but not renowned for his calmness and Fin Smith, Marcus Smith and Sam Prendergast are a bit green. There’s no Johnny Sexton anymore, he’s going just as a coach, and stalwart Owen Farrell has hardly played any rugby all year.

So can we present a case for George Ford? It won’t be a universally popular choice among the public but speak to anyone who has played with the Englishman and they’ll tell you he is basically a head coach on the pitch, such is his understanding and knowledge of the game.

The Sale Shark could be a calm head among the touring group and an extra set of eyes for the coaches on the training paddock.

11. JAMIE OSBORNE, Ireland

Every good Lions tour needs a Swiss Army Knife in their arsenal. A man who can ‘do a job’ in any position along the back-line and provide blanket cover the longer the tour drags on.

Previously that task has fallen to the likes of Jared Payne and Elliot Daly, two men who were far from obvious picks but made complete sense thanks to their incredible versatility – which is even more applicable in these days of 6-2 benches.

For this tour that mantle could fall to Daly again, who has enjoyed a recent career renaissance, but it could also go to Osborne, who is comfortable at full-back, wing and centre. Osborne, to us, screams 23rd man in a Lions third Test.

12. TOM JORDAN, Scotland

Jordan stepped up in the absence of Sione Tuipulotu in this year’s Six Nations and what a tournament he had. The Glasgow Warrior is abrasive going forward, a solid defender, deft handler and can play fly-half or full-back as well as inside-centre. No less an authority than Stuart Barnes picks Jordan as a Lions Test starter, such has been his recent impact.

With Tuipulotu facing a race to fitness and Ollie Lawrence ruled out of the tour entirely, the door seems open for Jordan to fill the void at No 12. It would be some rise for the New Zealand-born 26-year-old, who only made his Test debut last autumn off the bench v Fiji.

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