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Centres and Back 3

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 In my fifth and final post, I will give my opinion on the centres, wingers, and fullbacks. Per the last posts, I will continue to follow the previous Lions tour format, so I will choose four centres, four wingers, and two fullbacks. Centres My starting inside centre and my captain for the whole tour is Sione Tuipulotu. Tuipulotu has been on outstanding form for Scotland, and Glasgow Warriors recently. He provides a hard-running line with great skills when needed to use them. Sione qualifies for Scotland through his grandmother who hails from Greenock. Partnering Tuipulotu in the centre is Irish outside centre Robbie Henshaw. Henshaw has been a staple in both Ireland and Leinster's recent success. Henshaw has previously been on two Lions tours in 2017 and 2021, making 6 appearances across both tours. My sub inside centre is Irish powerhouse, Bundee Aki. Aki is known for his try-scoring and playmaking abilities regularly performing for Connacht and Ireland. Aki qualifies to ...
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Scrum-halves and Fly-halves

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  Scrum-halves and Stand-offs Next, I will give my opinion on the Lions' selection of scrum-halves and stand-offs. This has proved to be a competitive pick, with numerous players regularly performing. As per the last posts, I will follow the structure of the 2021 tour, therefore I will be choosing 3 scrum-halves and 3 stand-offs. Scrumhalf My first selection and our starting number 9 will be Jamison Gibson Park. Gibson Park has made 35 appearances for Ireland, since qualifying on residency grounds. Gibson Park previously represented Māori All Blacks internationally, before switching allegiance. Gibson Park is currently playing for Leinster where he has made 136 apps, scoring 150 points. My second selection is Scotland’s number 9, Ben White. White has made 22 appearances for Scotland, scoring 4 tries. He qualifies to play for Scotland on ancestry grounds after making 11 appearances for England U20. White has recently switched to Toulon, following London Irish ceasing to exist,...
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Second Row and Back Row

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Next up I will look at the second rows, and back rows. These are crucial positions in the team, bringing the engine in the set piece and the workhorses in open play.  I will continue to use the structure from the 2021 Lions’ Tour. Therefore, I will name 6 Second Rows and 6 Back rows.   Second Row The first second row is Tadhg Beirne. The Munster lock stands at 6ft 6, weighing 113kg. Beirne is the current captain of Munster and has made 51 appearances for the Irish national team. Beirne was previously named in the 2021 Lions squad, and made 6 appearances across the tour, scoring two tries. Beirne's regular second-row partner for Ireland, James Ryan, will also be on the plane to Australia. Ryan is a regular feature for club side Leinster, where he is co-club captain. To date, Ryan has made 64 caps for Ireland, scoring 5 tries. I believe Ryan will be one of our starting locks for the tour of Australia. The next player I believe will partner James Ryan in the second ro...
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Selection of Props & Hookers

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 In this post, I will be assessing the Lions' potential Front row options consisting of Loose Head Props, Hookers, and Tight Head Props. The 2021 tour saw the Lions carry 3 Hookers, and 6 props, which we can assume a similar amount will be taken. Front-row players are essential for the set piece- through their scrum power and technical ability in the lineout.  Props In my opinion, there are 5 props nailed to be in the squad, with the additional up for debate.  First up is Ellis Genge. The Bristol Bears man is an absolute machine standing at 6ft tall, and weighing a whopping 120kg. Genge is known for his power through the tackle, and ball carrying in open play. While featuring in the 2024 Netflix documentary- Six Nations: Full Contact, we can see Genge's mental attributes which have seen him being a crucial part of England's team and one of the first names on the team sheet. Genge has been rewarded with 58 caps for England, scoring 25 tries in the process. He has also feat...
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Introduction to British and Irish Lions Tour of Australia 2025

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Through my blog, I will discuss who in my opinion deserves to be called up to the British & Irish Lions Tour of Australia in 2025. Through this first post, I will be discussing, the coaching staff, squad format, and fixtures.  Background information The British & Irish Lions are a select team from the amalgamation of 4 major rugby nations; England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The team selection takes into consideration many factors such as national team form, club form, and style of play. The tour takes place every 4 years, rotating between visiting South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia. The games are always known to be a fierce contest providing closely contested games with an excellent standard of rugby on show. While visiting the nations the team tends to play a lot of fixtures, playing both club sides, and national sides. The Lions tour began in 1888 visiting Australia and New Zealand. Through the years the side began to face South Africa and even played one-o...
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