TRU's British & Irish Lions XV Recommendations

The next time a northern hemisphere team journeys south of the equator, it will be the British and Irish Lions heading off to New Zealand next summer.

Projections of how the team might do have all been fairly pessimistic up to this point, but with both England and Ireland impressing in Australia and South Africa respectively, hope has certainly been kindled ahead of the composite side taking on the biggest challenge in rugby, the All Blacks.

We take a look at what a Lions XV would look like today if picked, giving extra weight to recent performances in the southern hemisphere.

1. Jack McGrath

The Irishman’s rise has been steady over the last few years but gained real momentum this season following Cian Healy’s rash of injuries. The English duo of Mako Vunipola and Joe Marler will offer plenty of competition but with both battling for the same jersey at international level, McGrath could sneak ahead of them both.

2. Dylan Hartley

England’s former bad boy has rebuilt his reputation and his international stock under Eddie Jones and borne the burden of captaincy without a backward step. Hartley remains the standout hooker amongst the home nations and would likely have been the starter in Australia three years ago were it not for his indiscretion in the Aviva Premiership final.

3. Dan Cole

WP Nel and Samson Lee will both push Cole hard for this spot but the Leicester Tiger has begun to hit top gear again this summer following a couple of injury-ravaged seasons. In fact, you would be hard placed to name a better tighthead prop in world rugby right now and that’s without even considering the extras Cole brings at the breakdown.

4. Maro Itoje

The golden boy of English rugby has already inked his name onto the team-sheet, even with just seven test caps to name, such has been his impact this season. At just 21 years of age, Itoje is already the most well-rounded lock in the northern hemisphere and would bring remarkable physical and leadership skills to the Lions.

5. Alun Wyn Jones

There would be a strong case for partnering Itoje with his club and international teammate George Kruis, or the equally physically impressive Iain Henderson, but Jones is, on his day, one of the very best in the world. His experience would be a nice foil to Itoje and between the pair of them, they would certainly have what is required to take on Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock.

6. James Haskell

The fittest player in the England team, per Jones, Haskell has been one of the driving forces behind England’s rejuvenation over the last four months. He has knowledge of New Zealand rugby having spent a season at the Highlanders and shows little-to-no fatigue in late game situations, when the All Blacks are often at their most dangerous.

7. Sam Warburton

A victorious Lions captain, albeit having featured very little due to injury, Warburton is still the most effective natural test openside in the northern hemisphere. He is a strong bet to once again captain the composite side and with the likes of Haskell, Jones and Itoje bringing plenty of work rate to the pack, Warburton would be freed up to contest the breakdown battle with the All Blacks.

8. Taulupe Faletau

Jamie Heaslip and CJ Stander will push their cases but Faletau’s real competition will come from his cousin, Billy Vunipola. Faletau may just edge Vunipola with his all-round skill set and the extra explosion that the Englishman brings could make him the perfect weapon to come off the bench and wreak havoc against tired legs and bodies.

9. Conor Murray

The trio of Ben Youngs, Greig Laidlaw and Rhys Webb have all had their moments over the last few months but none have done so much as to make the jersey their own. Murray’s added tactical kicking ability is well-suited to a series in New Zealand where, contrary to popular belief, kicking plays a more vital role than any other destination in world rugby.

10. Owen Farrell

Farrell may not be playing at fly-half for England (due to his own versatility), but he has developed into the standout 10 among the home nations over the last couple of years. His kicking, defence and distribution, not to mention his ability to cope under pressure, are all excellent and though there are still rough edges to his game, there are no glaring weaknesses, either. Depending on the choice of coach, Farrell could be an option to move to 12, playing outside of Jonathan Sexton, George Ford or Dan Biggar.

11. George North

North is still the most destructive winger in northern hemisphere rugby when in form and fit and it’s hard to see another winger displacing him over the next 10 months. If the Lions head to New Zealand simply hoping to contain the quintet of Julian Savea, Ben Smith, Israel Dagg, Waisake Naholo and Nehe Milner-Skudder, they will be in for a rude awakening. North gives the Lions a method of attacking the All Blacks’ back three.

12. Robbie Henshaw

As with Farrell, the choice of coach will have a strong bearing on the approach the Lions take at inside centre. A more direct coach, such as Warren Gatland or Joe Schmidt, would likely be big fans of what Henshaw could bring outside of a dynamic and creative fly-half such as Farrell. They would not push for a second playmaker at 12 and that would work in Henshaw’s favour. Other options would include pushing Farrell to 12, Jamie Roberts or, if he can stay fit, Manu Tuilagi.

13. Jonathan Joseph

The outside centre may have had to endure a torrid season with Bath in the Premiership but his performances at international level for England have not dropped at all. His elusive running style outside of a direct runner like Henshaw would prove a nice contrast in the Lions’ midfield and a threat to a unit where New Zealand coach Steve Hansen is still searching for the right combination.

14. Anthony Watson

As with North, Watson brings plenty of attacking ability and though not quite the powerhouse that the Welshman is, has speed and footwork that more than make up for his comparative lack of size. Between Watson and North, the Lions would be a threat to score from anywhere on the pitch and their abilities in the air would be well-matched to New Zealand’s peerless kicking game.

15. Stuart Hogg

A real position of strength for the Lions, it would not be surprising to see any of Leigh Halfpenny, Liam Williams, Mike Brown, Jared Payne or Alex Goode starting here, but Hogg’s climb towards to the top of his position is very close to complete. As an attacking force, Hogg arguably surpasses all his home nations rivals, whilst his tactical kicking and defending are also solid.