Key events
Maro Itoje is named Lions captain
As had been widely predicted, it’s the Saracens and England forward who gets the nod. He’s here, in full Lions kit, and carrying a giant cuddly toy lion. The crowd give him a rapturous reception.
Alun Wyn Jones, who was captain for the 2021 South Africa tour before suffering an injury, comes out on stage for a chat before the new skipper is announced …
We’re going to start with the captaincy – the player in question will become just the 46th person to lead the British & Irish Lions. Farrell says that player has to be “a beacon” for others – “it takes a special person for sure” – but that he has leaders and unifying players throughout the squad.
“It’s impossible to explain unless you’ve been a part of it,” says Farrell of Lions duty as a player. “It’s so special to be able to represent all of the home nations … and how quickly that bond [in the squad] becomes united is amazing.”
“I’m feelin great, I feel quite chilled,” says Farrell as he arrives on stage. “I’ve made my picks, now Ieuan has to read them out.” As for Evans, he reveals that he heard about his first two Lions call-ups via telegram (“not the new one!”) and Ceefax.
Squad announcement begins
Former Lion and Guardian rugby writer Ugo Monye is on stage, alongside Sky presenter Lee McKenzie. They’ll be joined shortly by Andy Farrell and the Lions chairman, Ieuan Evans, to reveal Farrell’s picks and talk about the big decisions.
This will be the Lions’ first tour of Australia since 2013, when the tourists prevailed 2-1. Warren Gatland’s side won 23-21 in Brisbane, lost 16-15 in Melbourne and then roared to a 41-16 victory in the Sydney decider.
The Lions will play 10 fixtures this summer – one in Dublin and the rest in Australia. Here’s the full list of opponents:
Argentina (Dublin, 20 June)
Western Force (Perth, 28 June)
Queensland Reds (Brisbane, 2 July)
NSW Waratahs (Sydney, 5 July)
ACT Brumbies (Canberra, 9 July)
Aus/NZ invitational XV (Adelaide, 12 July)
Australia (First Test, Brisbane, 19 July)
First Nations/Pasifika XV (Melbourne, 22 July)
Australia (Second Test, Melbourne, 26 July)
Australia (Third Test, Sydney, 2 Aug)
It looks like the announcement – being made live in front of fans at the O2 in London – will start at 2pm GMT. So, in about 10 minutes.
“It was interesting to see Jack Willis missing from the writers’ picks yesterday,” writes Bevan Jones. “The back rows looked a bit lightweight to me. Do we think the best back rower in Europe is in? Also: fingers crossed for my current favourite player, James Lowe – a man who can seemingly antagonise any set of supporters around the globe.”
You can watch the live announcement on the Lions’ YouTube channel – it’s due to start in about 20 minutes.
There’s been a fair bit of talk this week about Northampton’s Champions Cup semi-final win over Leinster, and how that might affect Farrell’s thinking. Henry Pollock, for one, has moved from Lions bolter to near-certainty, and Fin Smith’s odds have also shortened.
On the other hand, Leinster fly-half Sam Prendergast is thought to have fallen down the pecking order, and questions have been asked over how many of the region’s players merit a place. I wonder if the head coach would make too many drastic calls based on a single match, even if the result felt seismic.
“Just watching the live stream, and want to double-check,” writes Matthew Moore. “White smoke means the cardinals have chosen a new fly-half, right? Habemus Finnam?”
Thankfully, the Vatican conclave has opted not to overshadow the squad announcement this afternoon.
Daniel Stephens is ready to talk bolters – the players who will make a late surge into the Lions squad. There’s room for an extra three today, with Farrell expected to pick 40 players rather than 37.
Daniel says: “Blair Murray (Wales), Courtney Lawes (England) and Jamie Ritchie (Scotland) will all be selected and raise eyebrows this afternoon.”
“I’m having a vision of the Lions No 10s as a 1958 Fairlane 500 convertible,” writes Carl Gladwell. “In other words, a Ford with a pair of Fin(n)s.”
Our rugby union writers make their picks here …
Preamble
Lions szn is officially here. The first Test against Australia in Brisbane is just over a couple of months away, and the curtain-raiser against Argentina in Dublin will be upon us in six weeks’ time.
This is the biggest milestone on the road to opening night, as Andy Farrell picks an expected 40-man squad from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales’ finest. It’ll be a career highlight for many players, and a day of great disappointment for others.
Maro Itoje is set to be named captain for the Lions’ first tour since South Africa in 2021. Many of his England colleagues, including Owen Farrell, Marcus Smith and George Ford, face a nervous wait to see if they make the cut. Farrell Sr is forecast to pick 22 forwards and 18 backs.
We’ll get the full lowdown at 1.30pm BST, when Lions chairman (and former tour winner Down Under) Ieuan Evans announces the squad. There’ll be 2,000 fans gathered at the O2 to give their collective verdict, and you can let me know your predictions/selections here.
