Greatest-ever Lions squad: We're rugby experts and these are the true legends

Chosen by seasoned sports journalists Bryn Palmer, Jamie Lyall, Neil Squires, Owain Jones and Pat McCarry, the experts have picked a starting XV with eight replacements comprising stars of the professional rugby era (post 1995).

The side features players from all four nations eligible to represent the Lions. England has the most players present with nine, followed by Wales with eight players, Ireland with five, and a solitary pick for Scotland,

In the front row the late Tom Smith, Scotland’s only player in the side, is at loosehead prop, with Irish legend Keith Wood at hooker. Both players were part of the 1997 winning tour to South Africa and also featured on the 2001 Australia tour. Welshman and veteran of two Lions tours, including the 2013 win in Australia, Adam Jones, is at tighthead prop.

The second row features England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup-winning captain, Martin Johnson, a winner on the 1997 tour, alongside Welsh legend, Alun Wyn Jones, who featured on four tours, including the 2013 tour win and the drawn 2017 tour to New Zealand. In the backrow, the side features another England 2003 Rugby World Cup star, Richard Hill at blindside flanker, while Welsh legend and former Lions captain, Sam Warburton, is at openside with compatriot, Taulupe Faletau, at number eight.

Moving into the half backs, Irish legend Johnny Sexton is pulling the strings at fly-half. Sexton gets the nod following his role in the touring side’s success on the 2013 and 2017 tours. Partnering Sexton in the half backs is Welsh legend Mike Phillips, who beats out the likes of Matt Dawson and Conor Murray to take the number nine shirt for his standout performances on the 2009 tour.

Speaking about his inclusion in the team, Mike Phillips offered these comments:

“Wow, this is amazing stuff and it’s great to see Adam Jones in there too. All I’ll say is these guys definitely know their rugby and thanks to the journalists involved for including me. That 2009 Tour was a privilege to be a part of and a real personal highlight, as I received the ‘Players’ player’ accolade too.”

On the left wing is another England 2003 Rugby World Cup winner, Jason Robinson, a star of the 2001 and 2005 tours. At inside centre is another English legend, Jeremy Guscott, ‘The Prince of Centres’, whose heroics were instrumental in the historic 1997 tour win to South Africa. Outside centre is Irish legend, Brian O’Driscoll, a veteran of four tours and whose stint as captain was cruelly cut short by a brutal spear tackle in 2005 against the All Blacks.

George North, who played a starring role in the 2013 and 2017 tours is chosen at right wing, selected at just 21, North showed experience beyond his years, starring in the 2013 tour to Australia, notably with his ‘fireman’s lift’ of Israel Folau in the second test. At full-back is another Welsh legend, Leigh Halfpenny, player of the series in 2013, with a record-49 points, Halfpenny featured on three tours in total, but sealed his legacy with his 2013 heroics.

Making up the rest of the squad, England stars make up the lion’s share of the replacements. Jamie George at hooker and Mako Vunipola at loosehead are joined on the bench front row with Ireland’s Tadhg Furlong at tighthead. Lawrence Dallaglio (Number 8) and Paul O’Connell (second row) are also in the replacement pack.

In the half backs, England’s Owen Farrell who featured on three tours is a replacement number 10 while fellow Englishman and a winner on the 1997 tour, Matt Dawson is the bench scrumhalf, Finally, Wales’ Liam Williams, who can play fullback or on the wings and starred on the 2017 and 2021 tours, gets the final squad spot.

One of the journalists involved in the curation of this list, RugbyPass’ Senior Features Editor, Owain Jones, had this to say about selecting the greatest Lions:

“Painstakingly compiling a composite Lions squad from the professional era was both a privilege and a pleasure but came with a modicum of pressure. Indeed, how to shoehorn some of the greatest talents rugby has ever known into a XV, while casting aside players who have written themselves into Lions folklore was a tortuous endeavour, but our rugby experts feel the assembly of men selected gives this fictitious side a pleasing balance.

“Who wouldn’t want Messrs Jones and Johnson glowering down at the opposition, feeding a peeling Keith Wood to explode into enemy territory? Or a Sam Warburton, Richard Hill and Taulupe Faletau backrow scavenging and scrapping for ball to provide arch-competitors Mike Phillips and Johnny Sexton to unleash hell with a backline littered with dash and derring-do. Jason Robinson and George North, running support lines off Jeremy Guscott and Brian O’Driscoll, yes please.

“And if the defensive resolve is holding tight, let Leigh Halfpenny fire his arrows between the uprights to guarantee victory. In our humble opinion, it is truly a side that stands shoulder to shoulder in the pantheon of greats.”

This year’s Lions tour sees Andy Farrell’s squad travel to Australia, looking to replicate the success of the 2013 trip, which saw a side coached by Warren Gatland and captained by Wales legend, Sam Warburton, claim a 2-1 series victory over the hosts.

More information: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/rugbypass-names-the-greatest-lions-squad-of-the-professional-era/