Lions Talking Points - Irish Record, Doris Injury & Prendergast Out

Even fixed a disappointing extremity to nan Six Nations and Leinster's daze Champions Cup semi-final exit, Ireland were ever going to beryllium healthily represented successful Andy Farrell's British and Irish Lions squad.

As it stands, 15 of Farrell's 38-strong sheet are Ireland internationals. It's a mightily awesome Irish contingent, eclipsing nan 14 that were initially named successful Sir Ian McGeechan's 2009 squad.

Some were judge bets, immoderate sewage successful aft a tense hold and immoderate missed out.

Before delving into nan selection, nan 15 Ireland players are:

There were nary awesome shocks from an Irish perspective, but still immoderate intriguing talking points. Let's get stuck into them now.

For a agelong time, it seemed arsenic though Farrell was shaping Caelan Doris into a imaginable Lions captain.

Farrell was appointed Lions leader successful January 2024. Four weeks later, Doris captained Ireland for nan first time, starring nan broadside retired against Italy successful nan Six Nations.

Then, having been named Leinster skipper earlier nan 2024-25 season, Doris was handed nan imperishable Ireland captaincy, replacing Peter O'Mahony.

While nan early stages of Doris' captaincy person included immoderate stinging defeats (New Zealand, France), he has instantly commanded respect.

With that, nan 27-year-old backmost statement was locked successful a dormant power pinch Maro Itoje for nan Lions captaincy until he injured his enarthrosis against Northampton Saints past weekend.

It has, for now, wrecked his Lions dream. Unless he recovers successful clip and is called up astatine a later date, he whitethorn not go a Lion until he is 31, which seems sadistic for specified an accomplished Test player.

Ironically, his absence will use different Leinster man successful Jack Conan, who now has a beardown chance of adding to his 3 Test starts successful 2021.

Like Doris, Farrell put a batch of eggs successful nan Sam Prendergast handbasket successful nan agelong build-up to Thursday's squad announcement.

But while Doris has missed retired because of fittingness issues, Prendergast simply didn't make nan trim pinch Farrell opting for Finn Russell, Fin Smith advertisement Marcus Smith arsenic his 3 fly-halves.

Seven months ago, Prendergast hadn't moreover made his Ireland debut, but aft dislodging Jack Crowley and starting successful Six Nations wins complete England, Scotland and Wales, he was a salient fig successful nan Lions fly-half debate.

Ireland's miserable nonaccomplishment to France seemed a important turning point, however, and while he has since played his portion successful immoderate large Leinster wins, his protect frailties again being severely exposed by an adventurous Northampton broadside possibly put paid to his hopes.

Prendergast, 22, has had an aggravated play for nine and country. It will now beryllium absorbing to spot if interim caput coach Paul O'Connell picks him for Ireland's summertime Tests against Georgia and Portugal.

It's intolerable not to talk astir Leinster's power because, moreover without Doris and Prendergast, they are comfortably nan astir well-represented nine successful Farrell's squad.

With 12 players, nan Dublin-based state dress up almost a 3rd of Farrell's squad. They will beryllium nan 'Leinster Dozen Down Under'. The adjacent champion represented clubs are Glasgow and Northampton pinch 4 apiece.

For context, Leinster had 4 players (Porter, Furlong, Conan and Robbie Henshaw) successful Warren Gatland's first squad successful 2021.

It intends Joe McCarthy, Dan Sheehan, James Lowe, Josh van der Flier, Jamison Gibson-Park, James Ryan, Hugo Keenan and Garry Ringrose are Leinster's first-time Lions.

Van der Flier, Ryan and Ringrose each missed retired successful 2021, truthful it is particularly satisfying for them particularly aft a disappointing Six Nations.

Beyond Leinster, nan 3 different Ireland players are Munster's Tadhg Beirne - nan first sanction publication retired by Lions chair and circuit head Ieuan Evans connected Thursday - and Connacht duo Mack Hansen and Bundee Aki.

Given their caller troubles, nan deficiency of Ulster practice is not surprising. It is still worthy noting, however, that it is nan first Lions squad without an Ulster subordinate since 2005.

Mack Hansen's inclusion wasn't arsenic nailed-on arsenic his Connacht team-mate Bundee Aki.

Hansen hasn't played since 12 April and earlier this week Connacht confirmed he will miss different 5 weeks pinch an ankle injury.

There will beryllium those, particularly of a Scottish persuasion, who will consciousness Hansen is fortunate to person been fixed nan motion complete Darcy Graham.

But Farrell has ever been a large instrumentality of Hansen, and what he lacks successful blistering gait he makes up for successful work-rate and big-game nous.