"One Week To Go" - Predicting the 2025 British & Irish Lions squad ahead of Andy Farrell's announcement

The hot topic of discussion throughout the build up to the announcement has been predictions. From across each Home Nation and all the way down to Australia, pundits, journalists and fans alike have taken to the net to share their thoughts on who will be apart of an unforgettable Summer for the British & Irish Lions. With seven days to go, many Lions hopefuls have raised their hand for the final time, with just four British & Irish club sides getting an extra run-out this weekend.

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The Investec Champions Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup rolls into the semi-final stage this weekend, with star-studded clashes in store across the Irish and Scottish capitals. Leinster host Northampton in the Champions Cup semi-final, with an array of Lions contenders set to line up for both the Dubliners and the incoming Saints. Bath then travel up to Edinburgh for the semi-final of the EPCR Challenge Cup, with both sides set to showcase their Lions hopefuls in the Scottish capital city.

So, with one final weekend of club rugby in store before Andy Farrell reveals his picks for the 2025 British & Irish Lions tour, we've decided to crack out the crystal ball. Of course, unforeseen injuries are always a factor, but we've pieced together our picks for the 38-man squad Farrell could take down to Australia.

NON-TEST SQUAD: Elliot Dee (Wales and Dragons)

We kick off our picks with the hookers, with a quartet of front row talents selected for the trip to Australia. We expect to see in-form Ireland and Leinster hooker Dan Sheehan entrusted by Andy Farrell as the leading man in the two jersey. Sheehan has been in tremendous form for Leinster, with the Irish province ruling the URC table and backed as the favourites into the semi-finals of the Champions Cup.

Former England captain Jamie George, and Wales stalwart Elliot Dee could well be called upon to bring their veteran's instincts to the hooking ranks. George is a former non-test Lions captain in his own right upon the 2021 tour to South Africa, and Dee totals up 59 Welsh caps under his belt throughout his own international career. Sheehan's Ireland and Leinster teammate Ronan Kelleher also gets the nod for the plane, in what is a testament to the depth of the Dublin side's strength in a singular position.

Moving onto the props, and we've established who we believe will be anchoring the scrum for the Test series against the Wallabies, and also in the battles with the Australian Super Rugby clubs. We back the 'Baby Rhino' Ellis Genge to lead the charge in the Lions one jersey, with Scotland's rock-solid pillar Zander Fagerson counter-balancing the drive upon the tight-head of the scrum.

The additional props selected in our predictions read as a roll call of the Six Nations' finest scrummagers, with representation from across the British & Irish Isles. The duo of Ireland's resident Olympic-standard strongman and modern-day viking join the fray, with Andrew Porter and Finlay Bealham tipped for a reunion with Andy Farrell. Porter will be chomping at the barbell to make his Lions debut, as after being named for the 2021 tour, a toe injury ended the Irish prop's dream at the final furlong.

Speaking of which, we see no place in the squad for Tadhg Furlong, despite a late push to impress in sporadic Six Nations appearances. It's been an inconsistent season for the 'Mayor of Wexford', with calf and hamstring injuries hindering his Lions tour hopes. We've added the trio of Wales' Nicky Smith - arguably the best scrummager of the 2025 Six Nations, despite Wales' miserable run of form - England's Will Stuart and Scotland's Pierre Schoeman, to pad out the reinforcements for Farrell's travelling pack.

STARTING XV: (LOCK 4) Maro Itoje (England and Saracens) (C)

At the dawn of the new year, Ireland lock James Ryan was the favourite to captain the British & Irish Lions down to Australia. However, after a stellar run at England's helm throughout the 2025 Six Nations, Maro Itoje is now the front-runner to lead the Lions on their voyage 'down under'. Itoje was bestowed the England captaincy in January, and led Steve Borthwick's side to four consecutive wins and an unbeaten run at home, after an early fumble away to Ireland.

James Ryan has slipped down the ranks of the locking order, with his Irish counterpart Tadhg Beirne surpassing him to a Lions Test start in the eyes of the pundits. Beirne was tremendous throughout the Six Nations, yet Munster's recent slump in form could be a hindrance on his starting hopes should the province fail to qualify for the 2025/26 Champions Cup. It could come down to an Andy Farrell coin flip for the Lions five jersey, with Beirne and Ryan both ready for a do-or-die Test against the Wallabies.

The other four locks set to travel out include former Wales captain Daf Jenkins, who scrapes in on international merit alone after Exeter's woeful season. Ollie Chessum staked his claim with a stunning Six Nations campaign, as the Leicester man stepped up following the untimely injury to his Tigers teammate George Martin. Ireland contribute a third lock, as Joe McCarthy's rise to prominence has made the 24-year-old impossible to overlook, before a rogue shout from the French Top 14 comes into play, as former England lock David Ribbans has been exemplary for RC Toulon this season.

The back row is a real head-scratcher, with plenty of talented flankers and number eights set to miss the flight down to Australia. The likes of Ben Curry, Jamie Ritchie, Rory Darge, Aaron Wainwright and Chandler Cunningham-South all fell short of the mark that was set by the selected stars. We've predicted Tom Curry as our starting blindside flanker, with a bruising Test series back row made up alongside Ireland's Josh van der Flier and Curry's England teammate Ben Earl.

Tom Curry has had a real career resurgence this year, and when fit and firing, he is consistently one of the best players in an England shirt on any given match day. Earl was equally as impressive throughout the latest Six Nations campaign, that took England to an unexpected finale with the title shipped out of their grasp by France on Super Saturday. Van der Flier is a classy operator who rounds of the back row, with turnovers galore expected as the Irish excavator plans to dig-up the Wallabies.

Jack Willis comes into the mix as the replacement back row forward, with no ignoring the efforts of the Toulousain talent. The former England back row is rumored to be returning for a year long stint in the Premiership to boost his 2027 Rugby World Cup contention, with the incoming Lions tour an opportune time to prove he's still got the ability to mix it up with the very best on the Test match stage. Wales captain Jac Morgan is dutifully called upon after being his country's best player throughout the 2025 Six Nations. Joining him in the non-test ranks are Caelan Doris and Matt Fagerson, who round off our forward picks for this year.

Moving onto the backs, with the trio of Jamison Gibson-Park, Alex Mitchell and Ben White selected to distribute the attacking ammunition upon the incoming Lions tour. Gibson-Park is the frontrunner to take the nine jersey for the Test series, however Alex Mitchell's hot run of form has pinned the Northampton man firmly on the heels of the Ireland international.

Mitchell could well take the lead of the Lions back-line, should Andy Farrell take stock of his talents like Steve Borthwick did in 2023. Mitchell was called up for England's latest Rugby World Cup campaign as injury cover to Jack van Poortvliet, yet the Saints man claimed the nine shirt as his own and has become Borthwick's first choice halfback ever since the tournament. Scotland's Ben White narrowly edged out Tomos Williams of Wales to the third scrum half spot, after a fine run of form for Toulon and Scotland.

The biggest area of discussion each and every time the Lions tour comes around, the 10 jersey is on the line, and we predict the following four exceptional candidates will be selected for the tour. Finn Russell is backed by the bookies and pundits alike to be the starting Test series 10, with Andy Farrell expected to unleash Scotland's mesmeric marksman upon Joe Schmidt's Wallabies.

Then the contention for places heats up to boiling point, as the chasing pack of enigmatic halfbacks are thinned down even further. Whilst the following fly halves are all deserved of a place upon the tour, the depth of sheer class is simply too deep to include the likes of Sam Prendergast, George Ford, Owen Farrell and Gareth Anscombe upon the trip 'down under'. England's latest line-leader Fin Smith would settle for the 22 shirt upon a Lions Test day, with Jack Crowley and Marcus Smith left to share the spoils of mid-week clashes.

The midfield is expected to be made up of an all-action alliance between two Celtic wrecking balls. Ireland's Bundee Aki is eyeing up his final run in the iconic red jersey, with Scotland's Sione Tuipulotu ready to mark his return from injury with a monstrous contribution in the middle of the park. The thought of this partnership would make Aussie titan Will Skelton second guess a trip down the centre channel, with a thumping gauntlet awaiting any hapless ball carrier that ventures toward the Lion's den.

The Saracens Swiss-Army knife Elliot Daly is a must have for Andy Farrell, with the England star confident and capable to cover the midfield, fullback and out on the wings. Daly would also do a decent job at fly half if so requested, with his multi-tool skillset pivotal towards the latter stages of an arduous Australia tour, should injuries begin to mount up overseas.

Scotland's Huw Jones also gets the nod, as he stepped up throughout the latest Six Nations in a consistent starring role of Gregor Townsend's Tuipulotu-less side. Jones gets in after Ollie Lawrence's season-ending Achilles injury, in what was a tough blow for the England and Bath man earlier this year.

With Duhan van der Merwe's ankle injury setting off the sands of time for a comeback, we've looked away from the flying Scotsman for now as we predict the wings bound to jet off to Australia. James Lowe has been all-but nailed on to start on the Lions' wing this season, and leads the charge to the eleven jersey with the Wallabies out to stop the top-knotted titan along the left touchline.

Tommy Freeman's exceptional Six Nations form saw the Saints wing score in all five matches for England, with his stock soaring through the rafters in time for his dutifully awarded Lions recognition. Scotland's Darcy Graham and Wales' Blair Murray rounds off a nice quartet of wings, with every Home Nation represented by one of their finest flyers. It's a tough call between Murray and Ireland's Mack Hansen, with the Australian-Irishman adamant to return to his homeland this Summer.

George Furbank's recent return to match fitness for Northampton Saints, has seen the England fullback throw his hat into the ring for a late Lions call-up. Furbank recovered from a broken arm throughout the latest Six Nations campaign, yet the fullback could well sneak his way onto the plane later this Summer. The expected man to start at 15 is Scotland's Blair Kinghorn, who has been exceptional for Scotland, whilst tearing up trees in the Top 14 and in the Champions Cup with defending double champs Toulouse.

Ireland's resident sevens star Hugo Keenan is another flyer backed for the tour, as the Olympian has been a pivotal part of Leinster's URC and European dominance this season. It's a unique combination of options to set out the fullback ranks, with Kinghorn's attacking flair, Keenan's out-and-out pace and confidence under the high ball, and Furbank's astute reading off the game, all providing different elements for Farrell to chose from this Summer.

15. Blair Kinghorn 14. Tommy Freeman 13. Sione Tuipulotu 12. Bundee Aki 11. James Lowe 10. Finn Russell 9. Jamison Gibson-Park 1. Ellis Genge 2. Dan Sheehan 3. Zander Fagerson 4. Maro Itoje 5. Tadhg Beirne 6. Tom Curry 7. Josh van der Flier 8. Ben Earl

16. Jamie George 17. Andrew Porter 18. Finlay Bealham 19. James Ryan 20. Jack Willis 21. Alex Mitchell 22. Fin Smith 23. Elliot Daly

15. Hugo Keenan 14. Darcy Graham 12. Huw Jones 13. Elliot Daly 11. Blair Murray 10. Jack Crowley 9. Ben White 1. Andrew Porter 2. Elliot Dee 3. Finlay Bealham 4. Dafydd Jenkins 5. Ollie Chessum 6. Jac Morgan 7. Jack Willis 8. Caelan Doris

16. Ronan Kelleher 17. Nicky Smith 18. Will Stuart 19. Joe McCarthy 20. Matt Fagerson 21. Alex Mitchell 22. Marcus Smith 23. George Furbank

The former Lions coach, who famously delivered the spine-tingling ‘Everest’ speech on the 1997 tour, opted for three players per position in a balanced selection for Scottish Rugby News.

And while some inclusions were expected, Telfer hasn’t been afraid to raise eyebrows, especially with some bold calls in the backline.

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Ellis Genge is a nailed-on pick at loosehead, joining Ireland’s Andrew Porter and Scotland’s Rory Sutherland.

Despite fitness concerns, Luke Cowan-Dickie is also included at hooker. There’s no England tighthead in the squad — a rare omission.

In the second row, Maro Itoje and Ollie Chessum are both in, underlining their continued importance at international level.

Telfer has gone heavy on Englishmen in the back-row — naming Ben Earl and Tom Curry at blindside, with Ben Curry making the cut at openside alongside Josh van der Flier and Jac Morgan.

There’s no room for Zach Mercer, Sam Underhill, or Alex Dombrandt, despite all being part of the England conversation at various points.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is the selection of Tommy Freeman and Tom Roebuck on the wing, with both making huge impressions in the Premiership this season.

They’re joined by Fin Smith at fly-half and George Furbank, who has quietly impressed, as one of three full-back options.

Alex Mitchell is the sole English scrum-half picked, with no room for Danny Care or Harry Randall.

Shockingly, there’s no Owen Farrell, Marcus Smith, or Freddie Steward — three players who’ve carried the England backline for much of the last few years.

Props
Loosehead: Ellis Genge (ENG), Andrew Porter (IRE), Rory Sutherland (SCO)
Tighthead: Tadhg Furlong (IRE), Finlay Bealham (IRE), Zander Fagerson (SCO)

Hookers
Luke Cowan-Dickie (ENG), Dan Sheehan (IRE), Dewi Lake (WAL)

Locks
Maro Itoje (ENG), Ollie Chessum (ENG), Joe McCarthy (IRE), Tadhg Beirne (IRE), Dafydd Jenkins (WAL), Scott Cummings (SCO)

Back Row
Blindside: Tom Curry (ENG), Ben Earl (ENG), Jamie Ritchie (SCO)
Openside: Josh van der Flier (IRE), Ben Curry (ENG), Jac Morgan (WAL)
Number 8: Caelan Doris (IRE), Jack Conan (IRE), Taulupe Faletau (WAL)

Scrum-halves
Jamison Gibson-Park (IRE), Alex Mitchell (ENG), Tomos Williams (WAL)

Fly-halves
Finn Russell (SCO), Fin Smith (ENG), Sam Prendergast (IRE)

Centres
Inside Centre: Bundee Aki (IRE), Sione Tuipulotu (SCO), Ben Thomas (WAL)
Outside Centre: Garry Ringrose (IRE), Huw Jones (SCO), Robbie Henshaw (IRE)

Wingers
Right Wing: Tommy Freeman (ENG), Darcy Graham (SCO), Tom Roebuck (ENG)
Left Wing: James Lowe (IRE), Duhan van der Merwe (SCO), Kyle Steyn (SCO)

Full-backs
Hugo Keenan (IRE), Blair Kinghorn (SCO), George Furbank (ENG)

12 years have passed since Warren Gatland’s men roared to a famous series win over Australia, but how well do you really remember the iconic 2013 British & Irish Lions squad?

From legendary leaders to surprise selections, we’ve lined up every player from that unforgettable tour. All you have to do is name them. No pressure, right?

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