Irish Pundits Name Their Final British & Irish Lions Squads
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The clock is ticking.
After months of speculation Warren Gatland will finally name his British & Irish Lions squad on Wednesday for their summer tour of New Zealand.
A lot of big names are set to miss out, such is the talent pool currently available to the Kiwi across the British & Irish isles.
Here’s how two of Ireland’s most respected pundits- Gerry Thornley and Brendan Fanning, think Gatland’s touring party should look this summer.
Brendan Fanning’s Lions Squad
Fullbacks: S Hogg (Sco), M Brown (Eng)
Wings: L Williams (Wal), G North (Wal), E Daly (Eng), J Nowell (Eng), A Watson (Eng)
Centres: O Farrell (Eng), R Henshaw (Irl), J Joseph (Eng), D Taylor (Sco)
Outhalves: J Sexton (Irl), D Biggar (Wal)
Scrumhalves: C Murray (Irl), R Webb (Wal), A Price (Sco)
Props: J McGrath (Irl), M Vunipola (Eng), C Healy (Irl), T Furlong (Irl), D Cole (Eng), J Ryan (Irl)
Hookers: J George (Eng), R Best (Irl), K Owens (Wal)
Locks: AW Jones (Wal), J Launchbury (Eng), G Kruis (Eng), M Itoje (Eng), I Henderson (Irl)
Back-rows: P O’Mahony (Irl), CJ Stander (Irl), B Vunipola (Eng), N Hughes (Eng), S Warburton (C) (Wal), S O’Brien (Irl), H Watson (Sco).
Gerry Thornley’s Lions Squad
Fullbacks: Stuart Hogg (Scotland), Leigh Halfpenny (Wales)
Wings: Anthony Watson (England), Elliot Daly (England), George North (Wales), Liam Williams (Wales), Simon Zebo (Ireland)
Centres: Jonathan Joseph (England), Owen Farrell (England), Robbie Henshaw (Ireland), Jonathan Davies (Wales), Garry Ringrose (Ireland)
Outhalves: Johnny Sexton (Ireland), Dan Biggar (Wales)
Scrumhalves: Conor Murray (Ireland), Rhys Webb (Wales), Ben Youngs (England)
Props: Mako Vunipola (England), Jack McGrath (Ireland), Tadhg Furlong (Ireland), Joe Marler (England), Dan Cole (England), Zander Fagerson (Scotland)
Hookers: Ken Owens (Wales), Rory Best (Ireland), Jamie George (England)
Locks: Alun Wyn Jones (Wales), Joe Launchbury (England), Courtney Lawes (England), Maro Itoje (England), Jonny Gray (Scotland)
Flankers: CJ Stander (Ireland), Sam Warburton (Wales, captain) Justin Tipuric (Wales), Seán O’Brien (Ireland), Peter O’Mahony (Ireland)
