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'One of the most famous players that didn't tour' picks 2025 Lions XV

Courtney Lawes, Maro Itoje and Conor Murray of the British & Irish Lions look dejected during the 3rd test match between the South Africa Springboks and the British & Irish Lions at Cape Town Stadium on August 07, 2021 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Former England internationals Danny Care and Mark Atkinson have picked eight Englishmen in their ideal British and Irish Lions starting XV to face Australia in the first Test next year.

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The pair thrashed out their best XV on the Hits Differently podcast recently, with six Irishmen and one Scot also making their team.

Despite making 101 appearances for England, Care never made a Lions tour, though he was described by the one-cap Atkinson as “one of the most famous players that didn’t tour”.

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A theme throughout the team is a battle between Irish and English players, with two English players getting the nod in the front-row. There is an Anglo-Irish propping combination of Ellis Genge and Tadhg Furlong, with Care saying the Bristol loosehead brings “raw power” and “wants to hurt people”, while the Leinster star “changed the game in terms of tighthead props”.

England captain Jamie George got the nod in the No 2 shirt, though it appeared to be a flip-of-a-coin between him and Dan Sheehan, with Care describing them both as “world-class”.

Fixture
British & Irish Lions
Australia
05:45
19 Jul 25
British & Irish Lions
All Stats and Data

There is once again and Irish and English combination in the second-row, with Atkinson describing the No 4 position as the “easiest position to pick right now”. Maro Itoje was selected to partner Munster’s Tadhg Beirne in the second-row, with the Saracen tipped to return for his third tour.

There was a greater debate when selecting the back-row, however, with the duo eventually settling on a trio of Courtney Lawes, Josh van der Flier and Caelan Doris, who was selected as captain. Though Lawes retired from Test rugby after last year’s World Cup, and is currently playing in France’s Pro D2, Atkinson said “if we see the same Courtney as at Saints last season, still performing, I find it hard to leave him out of any team.”

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Ireland’s Jamison Gibson-Park was understandably selected at scrum-half by Care, who described him as “the best scrum-half at the moment,” but added that he is “closely followed by Alex Mitchell”. The Ireland and Leinster star has been picked to partner England No 10 Marcus Smith, who will compete with Scotland’s Finn Russell, as “the gameplan doesn’t change” with both attacking players vying to start.

The pair settled on a powerful centre combination of Bundee Aki and Ollie Lawrence. Atkinson, a former centre, was effusive in his praise for the Ireland No 12, saying “he’s come from being a very, very, okay player… then suddenly, about four years ago, it was like overnight he became world-class,” adding that both he and Lawrence are not just ball-carriers.

There is equally plenty of power on the wings, with Duhan van der Merwe picked to partner Immanuel Feyi-Waboso. Atkinson said there “doesn’t feel like there’s anyone else to wear that shirt” other than 2021 tourist Van der Merwe, while Care said that his former England team-mate Feyi-Waboso has “got unbelievable gas, raw power, his stepping is unbelievable,” and that “he’s as close to a Cheslin Kolbe as England have got”.

Full-back was similar to the hooker, with another flip-of-a-coin selection, with both choosing England’s George Furbank marginally ahead of Ireland’s Hugo Keenan, although, with Andy Farrell head coach, he may well go with one of his preferred players.

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Danny Care and Mark Atkinson’s Lions XV (Back-ups)
1. Ellis Genge (Andrew Porter, Joe Marler)
2. Jamie George (Dan Sheehan)
3. Tadhg Furlong (Kyle Sinckler)
4. Maro Itoje
5. Tadhg Beirne
6. Courtney Lawes (Chandler Cunningham-South)
7. Josh van der Flier (Tom Curry)
8. Caelan Doris – captain
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Alex Mitchell, Tomos Williams)
10. Marcus Smith (Finn Russell)
11. Duhan van der Merwe (James Lowe)
12. Bundee Aki
13. Ollie Lawrence
14. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso
15. George Furbank (Hugo Keenan)

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Comments

6 Comments
N
NK 25 days ago

Picking Genge in the starting line up is an almost funny joke. He is not the best English loosehead and I'm not even sure he's the best loosehead in Bristol Bears.

D
DC 30 days ago

Who is danny care????not a flying hope that team will be chosen,typical english arrogant attitude.andy farrell will choose the best,and id imagine 8 irish players not english starting,we do want to win afterall.the boks and ireland are at the moment ranked best teams in the world,ireland be far more successful in last few years than england.when gatland was in charge he chose a lot of welsh players as they were flying high at the time,what have england achieved lately???

E
Ed the Duck 30 days ago

Fantasy rugby at its worst!


Never gonna happen though.

J
JH 30 days ago

Andrew Porter

Dan Sheehan

Tadhg Furlonh

Maro Itoje

Tadhg Beirne

Josh van der Flier

Caelan Doris

Jamison Gibson-Park

Finn Russell

Duhan van der Merwe

Bundee Aki

Huw Jones

James Lowe

George Furbank

P
Pn 30 days ago

Nice! What about blindside? It'd be between JVDF and Jac Morgan for 7 for me and Kinghorn at fullback, he's been immense for Toulouse. Huw Jones definitely, need at least one ball playing centre. I suppose it's all irrelevant anyway, whatever team goes out there will likely smash the hapless Aussies!

R
Rob 30 days ago

Lads the outrage click articles are getting out of control, I nearly threw up reading that team 🤢

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H
Hellhound 1 hour ago
South Africa will beat England at a canter

You forget that this was the 3rd Test between the AB's and the English this year. They were prepared and they knew how to keep NZ quiet. The Boks is not NZ.


The Boks is a whole other level. You overestimate England and underestimate the Boks. Clearly you haven't really looked at the teams. Besides the Irish games earlier this year, the Boks have mainly used experimental sides, even against the AB's.


Now they have chosen their best team available. They have targeted this game. The Boks mean business. Man for man, this Bok team is better. In strategy and player abilities there is no comparison and they are outmatched.


There isn't just monster strength, but unreal speed. In broken play there is currently no better team as well as defensively, not to even talk about the attacking threat, both from front and the back.


I'd say read between the lines, see what everyone is seeing, but clearly you are wearing blinders and is also putting too much emphasis on an AB's team the Boks beat twice this year, the same AB's that beaten England 3 times this year.


When Rassie gets serious, the players become machines. There is no stopping them. That bench is loaded with players that is fast, strong and have exceptional skills. This is a team not many teams will face before the 2027 WC, because the Boks doesn't use their best between WC's in one game. All experimental.


You will be proven wrong on Saturday and then you will wonder how you could have been so wrong. This Bok team means serious business. They came to conquer and not just by a close score. They want to demolish and they will. This England team at most is a 60 min team. Against the Boks that just won't cut it

14 Go to comments
H
Hellhound 1 hour ago
South Africa will beat England at a canter

Not bizarre, but needed. Everyone usually lifts their game against the Boks. Now instead of facing reality, they prefer to live in the past and look hopefully toward the score of the WC semi, hoping they can recreate that result and by some miracle snatch a victory.


It's better than the alternative knowing what is going to happen. Especially looking at the experimental squads the Boks put up against the Wallabies in the RC, not using their best team. That same Wallabies beat them last week.


Now the Boks isn't using an experimental squad. They put out as close to the strongest team the Boks have available at the moment. That must scare the pants off of them. If an experimental squad can destroy the Wallabies, what would the strongest team be able to do to the English?


Instead of sinking into dispear, they prefer to hope that their players can match the Boks. Even though they know what is coming. The English are scared and they won't show it.


Now imagine how Wales must feel knowing they are up next weekend? They don't even have the dubious record of at least close losses like the English. It's a complete nightmare for these 2 countries and rightly so.


The Boks usually take the pedal of the medal post WC's, but not this Bok team. They are better than the WC winning Boks of both '19 and '23. They are stronger up front. They are faster at the back. They can hit front and back. In broken play they are the most dangerous team. They have the best defence and attack also scoring the most tries.


In a way I feel sorry for both the English and Wales. Only those with blinders on expects a close game. Looking at both teams man to man, strategy to strategy, play to play, they are so outmatched it would be a joke if it wasn't so serious. We need the NH to be strong and we need the gap to become closer in rugby so the game stay exciting because runaway scores sometimes is fun, but it doesn't bring as much joy as a close game won.

14 Go to comments
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