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Tadhg Beirne
Munster and Ireland
Age 33 Caps 61 Lions caps 2If the distinction between lock and back-row forward is increasingly blurred in the modern game, this guy embodies that trend as much as anyone. Comfortable in the second or back rows. Comfortable leaping in the air, comfortable grappling in the godforsaken nooks and crannies, comfortable in the wide-open spaces.
Ollie Chessum
Leicester and England
Age 24 Caps 28Another of these multi-purpose forwards. They really come into their own on a Lions tour. Chessum had a bad run of injuries at the back end of last year, but by round three of the Six Nations he was back in England’s engine room and revving.
Scott Cummings
Glasgow and Scotland
Age 28 Caps 48A testament to him that he should be selected for this after such little rugby at the highest level this season. Fell victim to one of the more ridiculous red cards in the autumn, then missed the entire Six Nations with a broken arm. Sorely missed then, a figure of substance in Scotland’s tight five.
Maro Itoje (captain)
Saracens and England
Age 30 Caps 90 Lions caps 6He has finally consummated the “Future England Captain” tag that was foisted on him from a young age. And he wears it well. Back to his best this Six Nations, his first as England captain, he now strides on to a stage he knows well as captain there too. Now is his time.
Joe McCarthy
Leinster and Ireland
Age 24 Caps 19Try saying his name without breaking into a rendition of Vanessa Paradis’s 80s hit, “Joe le Taxi”. Back to the rugby, he made his name as the star of Ireland’s hugely impressive win in Marseille to launch their grand-slam campaign last year, so soon after another disappointing World Cup. The Leinster production line keeps rolling.
Joe McCarthy’s eye-catching performance in Marseille during his Six Nations debut won him the man of the match award. Photograph: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile/Getty Images
James Ryan
Leinster and Ireland
Age 28 Caps 72At least some players remain specialist locks. Ryan is an understated but influential technician of the set-pieces. Which is not to say he cannot gallop with the best of them. Indeed he scored on his Ireland debut which, unusually, came before his Leinster one. Another with a taste for captaincy.
Jack Conan
Leinster and Ireland
Age 32 Caps 51 Lions caps 3Started all three Tests in South Africa last time out. With Caelan Doris missing, his chances of repeating the trick have shot up, probably vying with Ben Earl for the No 8 jersey. A good old-fashioned, snarling back-row forward, who packs quite the punch with ball in hand.
Tom Curry
Sale and England
Age 26 Caps 61 Lions caps 3Classical openside in a modern era. Which means punishment and lots of it. Almost inhuman amounts. Extraordinary how he rides it all and still produces world-class performances in attack and defence. Has had stem-cell treatment on a chronic bone condition in his hip. So a link between the past and future, as much as between backs and forwards.
Ben Earl
Saracens and England
Age 27 Caps 42Comfortable at the base of the scrum or on the flank, his explosiveness is an asset anywhere – including the centre, where England have deployed him. Then there’s the niggle, celebrating every little scrum win as if it were a World Cup. Must be a nightmare to play against – and thus a dream to play with.
Ben Earl of England surges forward. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
Josh van der Flier
Leinster and Ireland
Age 32 Caps 73It seems they hand out player of the series awards for any old collection of matches these days, but Van der Flier collects more than most. And his gong for world player of the year in 2022 puts him among quite the elite. He scores tries, makes tackles, wins turnovers and never stops running.
Jac Morgan
Ospreys and Wales
Age 25 Caps 18Amid Wales’s recent tribulations, Morgan has stood out as a player and a man. Co-captain for Wales’s World Cup campaign at the age of 23, he pretty much fulfilled the role on the field alone. Now captain outright. Barrel-chested and explosive, he will contend with a few others answering to that description.
Henry Pollock
Northampton and England
Age 20 Caps 1There will be bumps along the road (surely) but for now this kid is a sprinting, bristling advert for doing whatever comes naturally – in his case playing rugby without fear. More Test tries (two) than halves of Test rugby (nearly one) at the moment. An outrageous selection for this tour. But an increasingly undeniable one.
