Moment Of Truth Nears As Lions Prepare To Reveal Squad

The action is over, nan auditions are done.

Last weekend's European semi-finals were nan last chance for British and Irish Lions contenders to sway caput coach Andy Farrell their way.

On Thursday, nan talking finishes too.

Back successful March, Farrell said he had a database of astir 75 imaginable tourists.

When he announces his squad for Australia this summer, he and his coaches will person boiled that group down to astir 37 players.

The squad has been debated for months and will proceed to beryllium aft Wales and Lions fable Ieuan Evans sounds retired nan names of nan chosen fewer from 14:00 BST connected Thursday astatine nan O2 arena.

Here are immoderate of nan hottest pre-announcement topics chewed complete by BBC Sport's squad of pundits.

Might 1 of nan 2 horses successful nan title to skipper nan Lions person fallen astatine nan last hurdle?

Ireland number 8 Caelan Doris picked up a enarthrosis injury successful Leinster's Champions Cup semi-final conclusion by Northampton this weekend, putting his touring hopes successful danger.

Maro Itoje whitethorn good person earned nan accolade up of Doris regardless, but pinch specified uncertainty complete his rival for nan station now, nan measurement seems moreover much clear for nan 2nd row.

The 30-year-old, who had not been either his nine aliases country's regular skipper until nan commencement of this season, would beryllium completing a captaincy cleanable expanse connected his 3rd Lions tour.

"I would work together pinch it going to Maro," erstwhile England and British and Irish Lions scrum-half Matt Dawson told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"There are a mates of absolute fundamentals pinch Lions circuit captains - first and foremost they person to beryllium successful nan squad and for maine he is, without a protector of a doubt.

"Secondly, he has to beryllium held successful that regard, not conscionable by nan coaches, but besides by his team-mates arsenic well. The players person to look astatine their skipper and deliberation 'this feline is nan man'.

"Thirdly, for Maro specifically, he has blossomed beautifully this play for England.

"He has gone from being a subordinate who was a certainty to beryllium successful nan team, but was a spot short of nan shape of his early 20s and a small spot excessively sick disciplined, to being correct successful nan groove.

"The captaincy has fixed him a caller lease of life and he is fresh to measurement into nan domiciled for nan Lions."

Shane Horgan, who toured New Zealand alongside Dawson pinch nan 2005 Lions, agrees.

"I deliberation Itoje is nan frontrunner," he said.

"You request a different type of charisma to beryllium Lions skipper because wrong your ain nation, you tin get 20 caps, build relationships pinch nan team, go a elder subordinate and past captain. There is nary of that pinch nan Lions.

"There are tons of players you won't person a narration pinch astatine each - you person to beryllium 100% respected and person a spot of an aura."

Finn Russell is nan man successful possession of nan British and Irish Lions number 10 jersey.

Four years ago, he was ushered into nan fray early successful nan deciding 3rd Test against nan Springboks and, though nan visitors lost, Russell's dexterity and daring stood out.

However aft a humble Six Nations run pinch Scotland and nan assignment of Russell-sceptic Johnny Sexton arsenic 1 of nan Lions coaches, uncertainty has been formed complete whether nan 30-year-old could moreover make nan squad.

Former Ireland hooker and Scarlets coach Bernard Jackman believes Russell should beryllium consecutive into nan team.

"For me, Russell is nan starting 10," he told Scrum V.

"I deliberation nan worldly astir Johnny joining nan coaching unit - I deliberation that will beryllium done.

"The area Andy Farrell is astir comfortable successful coaching is attack.

"When you deliberation of Ireland's onslaught going into nan past Rugby World Cup successful 2023, it was truthful patterned and intricate. Someone pinch Russell's instinct, pinch his passing, moving and kicking game, could beryllium unbelievably beardown successful that.

"I would beryllium shocked if he wasn't connected nan plane. I deliberation it is nan occupation of nan coaches to group nan squad up to bring nan champion retired of him because that would bring nan champion retired of everybody else."

Horgan agrees, adding that Russell's Lions credentials person been proven.

"Given Scotland person won conscionable 1 of their past 16 meetings against his Ireland team, it will beryllium difficult for Andy Farrell to destruct immoderate of nan doubts he whitethorn person astir immoderate of their players," he told 5 Live.

"But, I don't deliberation that counts for Finn. If location was ever immoderate doubts astir Finn, they were blown retired of nan h2o by his performances connected nan circuit successful 2021.

"He was phenomenal and should person played more."

Twenty-nine minutes into Northampton's daze triumph against Leinster successful nan Champions Cup semi-final connected Saturday, Henry Pollock took a short shot disconnected Alex Mitchell, punched a spread and pinned backmost his ears.

The easiness pinch which he rounded Leinster fly-half Sam Prendergast to scorch successful for a effort group tongues wagging among those connected nan look-out for Lions.

"That must person been nan worst performances Prendergast has had this season," said 2009 British and Irish Lions winger Ugo Monye on Rugby Union Weekly.

"You tin forgive missed kicks astatine goal, but location was a deficiency of control.

"He looked for illustration he was nan fly-half playing away, he couldn't enforce himself connected nan game.

"No-one missed much tackles successful nan Six Nations this twelvemonth and, arsenic good arsenic being ruined by Henry Pollock, he looked non-committal successful defence, making pat tackles.

"He will go specified a attraction for an attack."

"I don't deliberation you tin return Sam, arsenic awesome arsenic his attacking expertise is astatine nan line," agreed erstwhile Wales and Lions helping Alex Cuthbert connected 5 Live.

"His defence is simply a existent liability and Australia coach Joe Schmidt will beryllium clued into that.

"His tackle completion is way, measurement excessively debased to beryllium chosen.

"By contrast, I deliberation Northampton fly-half Fin Smith played his measurement onto nan plane.

"That crippled was arsenic adjacent to an world arsenic you tin get, successful position of ferocity and physicality, and Fin Smith was astatine nan bosom of it, controlling things successful 1 of nan champion distant wins I person ever seen successful Europe."

Pollock began this play pinch conscionable 1 Premiership quality to his name. His precipitous climb towards nan apical shows nary motion of stopping though.

The 20-year-old has scored much tries and beaten much defenders than immoderate different guardant successful nan Champions Cup this season. He has made much tackles and secured much turnovers than immoderate different subordinate afloat stop.

"Previously I thought possibly nan Lions had travel excessively soon for him," said erstwhile England scrum-half Danny Care connected Rugby Union Weekly.

"But watching that triumph complete Leinster, really tin you not return him?

"He looked better, successful each aspect, than 1 of nan champion Ireland backmost rows ever.

"He is an 80-minute player. To beryllium astatine that level mentally and physically, successful a Test match-level situation is superb.

"I for illustration everything this kid is about.

"I'm not judge if he would start, but really bully would he beryllium for title connected that tour?

"Lob him into a midweek squad and if you picked him for Test side, he wouldn't look retired of place."

"Farrell can't not prime him," agreed Horgan.

"Pollock was phenomenal astatine nan weekend. It was arsenic bully a capacity arsenic I person seen successful a agelong time.

"He doesn't cognize really to beryllium bad and he will bring crazy enthusiasm - and for that logic I deliberation he will beryllium picked."

Tomos Williams' livewire performances for some Gloucester and Wales person put him successful contention for a scrum-half spot, though Scotland's Ben White - who has a ready-made knowing pinch Russell - could trump him successful nan expected title to subordinate Ireland's Jamison Gibson-Park and England's Alex Mitchell successful nan squad.

"My small heart says that Ben White would amended fresh nan measurement that Andy Farrell would want to play and really nan Lions could play," said Dawson.

"And that relationship pinch Finn Russell could beryllium rather handy.

"However it is simply a valid constituent that nan Lions organisers will want to person a patient Wales contingent and that mightiness count against White. That facet mightiness separator a toss-of-a-coin decision."

"I would beryllium very amazed if Tomos is not connected that plane, fixed some his shape and nan type of bloke he would beryllium successful that environment," said Cuthbert.

"Andy Farrell would for illustration him. Tomos is very dry, and very bully astatine being nan centre of a changing room, bringing nan champion retired of players astir him."

Marcus Smith was called up for nan past British and Lions circuit while playing a summer world for England against Canada.

While halfway down Allianz Stadium's tunnel, he was told by England support unit that he would beryllium boarding a level to South Africa, arsenic good arsenic a autobus backmost to southbound London.

The 26-year-old seemed successful premier position for a fly-half slot this clip astir aft immoderate virtuoso displays for England successful nan 2nd half of 2024.

However nan emergence of namesake Fin and a positional shuffle to full-back during nan Six Nations has made predicting Smith's inclusion for 2025 a batch harder.

Danny Care, who plays pinch Smith astatine Harlequins, backs him.

"Scotland full-back Blair Kinghorn is apt to get precocious connected nan circuit from Toulouse truthful it is simply a monolithic drawstring to Marcus Smith's front being capable to play 15," Care said.

"If you person 2 large movers connected nan wings, beryllium it James Lowe, Tommy Freeman aliases Duhan van der Merwe, you request personification who tin nexus and create abstraction for them.

"Marcus Smith is nan champion one-on-one attacker coming from nan back. He has been for 2 aliases 3 years.

"Added to which I don't deliberation Andy Farrell will hide really good he played astatine 10 successful nan autumn. Some players person in installments successful nan bank."

However Smith whitethorn find that positional specialists are preferred to his versatility.

"For each his brilliance arsenic a player, I don't deliberation Marcus Smith is successful nan apical 3 for fly-halves who get nan astir retired of their backline," said Horgan.

"Finn Russell, Fin Smith and Sam Prendergast each get backlines motoring amended and I don't deliberation you tin person Marcus Smith arsenic a starting full-back.

"He will do superb things, but I don't deliberation he is simply a starting full-back."