Murray Kinsella Reports from London

ANDY FARRELL HAS included a record 15 Irish players in his 38-man British and Irish Lions squad to tour Australia. 

Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan, Tadhg Furlong, Rónan Kelleher, Joe McCarthy, Andrew Porter, James Ryan, Dan Sheehan, and Josh van der Flier have been named among the forwards, while Bundee Aki, Jamison Gibson-Park,  Mack Hansen, Hugo Keenan, James Lowe, and Garry Ringrose have been included in the backs.

Robbie Henshaw is among the Irish players to miss out on selection in Farrell’s group to take on the Wallabies.

England’s Maro Itoje will captain the squad, with Ireland skipper Caelan Doris cruelly ruled out of touring due to the shoulder injury he suffered in Leinster’s Champions Cup semi-final defeat to Northampton last weekend.

20-year-old England flanker Henry Pollock proved to be the bolter included in this year’s squad, while Scotland lock Scott Cummings was something of a surprise pick.

There are 13 English players in Farrell’s squad, with Fin Smith and Marcus Smith both named as out-halves along with Finn Russell. Owen Farrell has not been included.

Scotland provide eight tourists, while Wales have the smallest group of players with just two in Jac Morgan and Tomos Williams.

The Lions will face Argentina in Dublin on Friday 20 June before departing for Australia. Farrell’s men will face the Western Force, Reds, Waratahs, Brumbies, and an Invitational Australia & New Zealand team before the three Tests against the Wallabies, with one further midweek game against the First Nations & Pasifika XV.

The first Lions Test takes place in Brisbane on 19 July, the second is in Melbourne on 26 July, and the final Test will be hosted in Sydney on 2 August.

2025 British and Irish Lions squad:

Forwards [21]:

Tadhg Beirne [Ireland/Munster]
Ollie Chessum [England/Leicester]
Jack Conan [Ireland/Leinster]
Luke Cowan-Dickie [England/Sale]
Scott Cummings [Scotland/Glasgow]
Tom Curry [England/Sale]
Ben Earl [England/Saracens]
Zander Fagerson [Scotland/Glasgow]
Tadhg Furlong [Ireland/Leinster]
Ellis Genge [England/Bristol]
Maro Itoje [England/Saracens] (captain)
Rónan Kelleher [Ireland/Leinster]
Joe McCarthy [Ireland/Leinster]
Jac Morgan [Wales/Ospreys]
Henry Pollock [England/Northampton]
Andrew Porter [Ireland/Leinster]
James Ryan [Ireland/Leinster]
Pierre Schoeman [Scotland/Edinburgh]
Dan Sheehan [Ireland/Leinster]
Will Stuart [England/Bath]
Josh van der Flier [Ireland/Leinster]

Backs [17]:

Bundee Aki [Ireland/Connacht]
Elliot Daly [England/Saracens]
Tommy Freeman [England/Northampton]
Jamison Gibson-Park [Ireland/Leinster]
Mack Hansen [Ireland/Connacht]
Huw Jones [Scotland/Glasgow]
Hugo Keenan [Ireland/Leinster]
Blair Kinghorn [Scotland/Toulouse]
James Lowe [Ireland/Leinster]
Alex Mitchell [England/Northampton]
Garry Ringrose [Ireland/Leinster]
Finn Russell [Scotland/Bath]
Fin Smith [England/Northampton]
Marcus Smith [England/Harlequins]
Sione Tuipulotu [Scotland/Glasgow]
Duhan van der Merwe [Scotland/Edinburgh]
Tomos Williams [Wales/Gloucester]

Looseheads: Andrew Porter, Ellis Genge, Pierre Schoeman

Hookers: Dan Sheehan, Rónan Kelleher, Luke Cowan-Dickie

Tightheads: Tadhg Furlong, Will Stuart, Zander Fagerson

Locks: Maro Itoje (captain), Tadhg Beirne, James Ryan, Joe McCarthy, Scott Cummings, Ollie Chessum

Back rows: Tom Curry, Ben Earl, Jac Morgan, Henry Pollock, Jack Conan, Josh van der Flier

Scrum-halves: Jamison Gibson-Park, Tomos Williams, Alex Mitchell

Out-halves: Fin Smith, Finn Russell, Marcus Smith

Centres: Sione Tuipulotu, Huw Jones, Bundee Aki, Garry Ringrose

Back threes: James Lowe, Duhan van der Merwe, Tommy Freeman, Mack Hansen, Hugo Keenan, Blair Kinghorn, Elliot Daly