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Ireland dominate poll asking fans to pick Lions team to play today
By Liam Heagney
British and Irish Lions fans reckon nine Ireland players would get in the Test team if they were playing today. The Rugby World Cup ended last weekend in a bronze medal finish for England behind title winners South Africa, who beat New Zealand in the final.
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With that tournament now over, the Lions – in conjunction with their partner Howden – have been running a social media competition asking fans to pick their Lions XV to be in with a chance of winning travel, first Test tickets and accommodation on the upcoming 2025 tour of Australia.
Their latest update on how fans have been voting this week has revealed that nine Ireland players are leading the poll, with the team completed by two England players, two Scottish and two Welsh.
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Five Ireland players are in the pack, including all three front row places going to Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong.
The Irish forwards were completed by Tadhg Beirne and Caelan Doris, with representation from other nations coming from England’s Maro Itoje and Tom Curry along with Wales’ Jac Morgan who is listed as captain.
As it stands. ?
Thousands of you have been having your say this week on what a current Lions XV would look like…and here are the results so far ?#Howden pic.twitter.com/9ibuO2dOqn
— British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) November 3, 2023
Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell are leading the half-back poll, with Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose the midfield partnership. A back three of Duhan van der Merwe, Louis Rees-Zammit and Hugo Keenan rounded off the team.
There has been plenty of Lions tour speculation since the World Cup finished with Warren Gatland suggesting Andy Farrell should be the head coach in 2025. Ronan O’Gara has also revealed he would be interested in a coaching role if Farrell did lead the tourists.
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RugbyPass must be desperate for articles if this article is relevant.
That looks pretty much bang on actually. Good looking Lions team.
Russell plays a very different game to what those Irish players are used to so might not be a good fit although he is a class act… but I don't think the reserve Irish 10s have the experience and I'd hate to see Farrell there. Biggar might be ok but Russell deserves a shot at least.
Van Der Flier would probably get in although on recent form Curry and Morgan have played better. Ben Earl is a contender too, impact from the bench perhaps.
Er, don't the B+I lions want players from countries that have actually won RWC play-off matches (12 in England's case) rather than never-won-an-RWC-playoff-match-ever chokers?
Clearly you have no clue about the game of rugby if you think any of the English players are better in their respective positions to the irish players. Maybe stick to failed online comedy as you clearly don't understand rugby. Poes!
RWC is irrelevant to the Lions. Especially if you want to pick players from the last 30 years into the coming Lions squad. Not sure they’d be match fit !