BRIAN O’DRISCOLL: THIS IS MY LIONS TEAM FOR FIRST TEST
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We are in Whitechapel, east London, and the artist, Nelly, is hard at work, painting the names of the 2025 Lions squad on the side of a building in gigantic fashion.
Huddled beneath are some of the great and good of Lions alumni. Jamie Roberts chats to dignitaries; Gavin Hastings does a piece to camera before looking over his shoulder at the artist’s progress, just a stone’s throw from where Ieuan Evans – his former Lions team-mate – named Andy Farrell’s squad, at the O2.
From behind them emerges Brian O’Driscoll, the former Irish centre who experienced four Lions tours, and is one of the greatest exponents to have ever played the game. So, what would be his team for the first Test?
“This is based on current form; as if the first Test were tomorrow,” O’Driscoll says. “There were not too many shocks in that selection, in fairness. Of course, there will always be 50/50 calls and one or two contentious decisions but even the likes of Henry Pollock to me is not a bolter any more. I think he was a shoo-in.
“But, as ever, someone who might have been perceived to have limped into the squad will end up a Test player – or someone who was not even named today will feature in a Test. That is almost always the case. There will be someone who we do not anticipate who really excels and delivers in the key moments of big games.”
Brian O’Driscoll’s Lions team
A year ago, you would have said Hugo Keenan but Kinghorn’s quality – not just with Scotland but particularly with Toulouse – has come through. He has been outstanding for club and country – and can also play on the wing.
Fifteen tries in nine games, Freeman is white hot at the minute. I’d go for Freeman over Mack Hansen currently on form. Freeman is on fire.
I’m a huge Ringrose fan and I think he deserves his chance. I think he’ll really thrive. Ringrose is almost in the Huw Jones role here outside Tuipulotu and Russell but Jones is such a brilliant hole runner. He knows where the passes are coming from; especially from Finn [Russell] and Sione [Tuipulotu]! If it was the Scottish trio together, you wouldn’t be shocked.
Tuipulotu might be injured but he is still the outstanding 12 in the group – and that partnership with Russell and Jones has worked wonders for Scotland. Jeez, the whole 10-12-13 axis is wide open.
Not quite the first name on the team sheet but his left peg will be massively important; particularly to the exit game. He knows where the try line is and when he’s going well the team that he’s playing in goes well, too.
I agonised over this a lot. I just did not know between the two Fin(n)s. I’d love to play with Finn Russell; so exciting. But then Fin Smith had this incredible control last Saturday; you start moving away from him and then he draws you back in with another great performance.
It’s not sewn up. Alex Mitchell has been in a rich vein of form and Tomos Williams has been playing well for Gloucester. You would not be shocked if Mitchell found his way in if he played well on tour, especially since Gibson-Park the last couple of weeks has been good but not at his very best. It’s not a foregone conclusion but I’m going with Gibson-Park.
He has an unbelievable capacity for work; almost an additional back rower. But it is a close call between him and Ellis Genge, who I would have on the bench.
The outstanding candidate who has returned so strongly from injury. [Luke] Cowan-Dickie on the bench, for me. Jamie George could not have been far away from Ronan Kelleher, either.
Tadhg Furlong has not gotten back to the form he was once at. He has a few niggles. I hope he can rediscover that but I think Fagerson could make the No 3 jersey his. Will Stuart, of course, could muscle his way in.
An obvious one. You get a bit of brute in Itoje, too, which complements [Tadhg] Beirne’s skills perfectly.
A brilliant player; a clever footballer. The skill level of a back rower, with intelligence to match. He’s been very important for Ireland, he’s been very good for the Lions, and I think he’ll be very good again.
What an engine. There are so many sevens – Jac Morgan, Ben Earl and Henry Pollock can all play there – but Curry can play six. You could go with [Jack] Conan as a big, ball-carrying six but I think Curry is too good to leave out so I’m putting him there to allow for [Josh] Van der Flier to play seven.
With Curry at six, the door is open for Van der Flier to start at openside but I must admit I think it will be close between him and [Jac] Morgan, one of the two Welsh selections.
He is going to be brilliant on this tour. The explosiveness, the confidence; he’s going to be a great tourist. The try against Leinster last Saturday, yeah, that was brilliant, but it’s the workload he takes on – right until the end. A few weeks ago against Bristol, Northampton conceded a length-of-the-field try and Pollock chased to the try line. They’d already won! He has an insatiable appetite. He has this cult following already – amazing. He could absolutely find his way into the Test team.
Replacements
16. Luke Cowan-Dickie (England)
17. Ellis Genge (England)
18. Tadhg Furlong (Ireland)
19. Joe McCarthy (Ireland)
20. Jack Conan (Ireland)
21. Alex Mitchell (England)
22. Fin Smith (England)
23. Elliot Daly (England)
Brian’s squad breakdown
- Ireland: 10
- England: 9
- Scotland: 4
- Wales: 0
Howden celebrates the British & Irish lions squad announcement with a striking mural. Lions legends Brian O’Driscoll, Gavin Hastings and Jamie Roberts join the unveiling of hand-painted tribute to the newly named 2025 squad.
2025-05-09T13:59:55Z
