{"id":390867,"date":"2025-09-02T03:19:08","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T03:19:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/390867\/"},"modified":"2025-09-02T03:19:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T03:19:08","slug":"british-irish-lions-2029-fixtures-guide-andy-farrell-to-take-charge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/390867\/","title":{"rendered":"British &#038; Irish Lions 2029 Fixtures Guide &#8211; Andy Farrell to take charge"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>The British &amp; Irish Lions are set to break new ground in 2029 \u2014 with a\u00a0fixture in the USA\u00a0lined up before their blockbuster tour of New Zealand.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In a move designed to supercharge rugby ahead of the\u00a0<strong>2031 Rugby World Cup<\/strong>, the Lions are expected to face either the\u00a0<strong>USA Eagles<\/strong>\u00a0or an\u00a0<strong>invitation XV<\/strong>\u00a0in\u00a0Las Vegas.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/channel\/AbYd2l05pp1bM_Ix\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Join RUCK\u2019s Instagram broadcast channel\u00a0<\/a><\/strong>and get the latest rugby news straight to your phone.<\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\udfdf\ufe0f\u00a0<strong>TWICKENHAM TO HOST OPENER<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Before flying stateside, the Lions will kick things off at home \u2014 and all signs point to\u00a0<strong>Twickenham<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Why? It\u2019s their turn.<\/p>\n<p>The last three home games have been spread around the nations:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>2025: Aviva Stadium, Dublin<\/li>\n<li>2021: Murrayfield, Edinburgh<\/li>\n<li>2005: Principality Stadium, Cardiff<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That leaves the\u00a0<strong>Home of Rugby<\/strong>\u00a0next in line, with\u00a0<strong>France, Argentina or Fiji<\/strong>\u00a0tipped as potential opposition under the lights in London.<\/p>\n<p>\ud83e\udd81\u00a0<strong>BRUTAL BUILD-UP IN NEW ZEALAND<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Once the US clash is done, the Lions will head south for one of the\u00a0<strong>toughest warm-up schedules in history<\/strong>, taking on every single Super Rugby franchise:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Blues<\/li>\n<li>Chiefs<\/li>\n<li>Crusaders<\/li>\n<li>Highlanders<\/li>\n<li>Hurricanes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>They\u2019ll also go toe-to-toe with the\u00a0<strong>M\u0101ori All Blacks<\/strong>, before facing the\u00a0<strong>New Zealand Barbarians<\/strong>\u00a0in a midweek clash after the first Test \u2014 perfect for rotation and keeping intensity high.<\/p>\n<p>Then comes the big one: a\u00a0<strong>three-Test series<\/strong>\u00a0against the All Blacks.<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udc54\u00a0<strong>FARRELL READY FOR MORE?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Despite the Lions\u2019\u00a0<strong>22-12 third Test defeat<\/strong>, which denied them a 3-0 sweep, Andy Farrell didn\u2019t sound like a man finished with the Lions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEveryone knows what I think about this concept,\u201d said Farrell, reflecting on the Lions\u2019 first series victory since 2013.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI love everything that the Lions is about and I\u2019ve thoroughly enjoyed the last eight weeks. There\u2019s always ups and there\u2019s always downs but the inner circle is a special place to be.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Asked if that meant he would be keen to coach the Lions again, Farrell smiled and told reporters to\u00a0<strong>\u201cread into that what you want\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In the short term he returns to his role with Ireland, but he paid tribute to the staff and players involved in \u201can unbelievably special\u201d series win that \u201cwill stay with us forever\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udcc5\u00a0<strong>LIKELY 2029 LIONS FIXTURES<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>TBC \u2013 vs France, Argentina or Fiji \u2013 Twickenham, London<\/li>\n<li>TBC \u2013 vs USA Eagles \/ Invitational XV \u2013 United States<\/li>\n<li>TBC \u2013 vs Blues \u2013 New Zealand<\/li>\n<li>TBC \u2013 vs Chiefs \u2013 New Zealand<\/li>\n<li>TBC \u2013 vs Crusaders \u2013 New Zealand<\/li>\n<li>TBC \u2013 vs Highlanders \u2013 New Zealand<\/li>\n<li>TBC \u2013 vs Hurricanes \u2013 New Zealand<\/li>\n<li>TBC \u2013 vs M\u0101ori All Blacks \u2013 New Zealand<\/li>\n<li>TBC \u2013 1st Test vs New Zealand \u2013 New Zealand<\/li>\n<li>TBC \u2013 vs New Zealand Barbarians \u2013 New Zealand<\/li>\n<li>TBC \u2013 2nd Test vs New Zealand \u2013 New Zealand<\/li>\n<li>TBC \u2013 3rd Test vs New Zealand \u2013 New Zealand<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Prediction: the 2029 British &amp; Irish Lions Squad<\/p>\n<p> It\u2019s May 2029, London Irish, Wasps and Worcester Warriors are back battling in a 13-team Premiership, Georgia are celebrating their qualification for the 2030 Six Nations, and the reigning World Champions New Zealand prepare to host the incoming class of British &amp; Irish Lions. But who will make the cut for the trip to Aotearoa\u2026 here\u2019s our predictions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>PREDICTION: BRITISH &amp; IRISH LIONS SQUAD FOR 2029 TOUR OF NEW ZEALAND <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>HOOKERS <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>TEST XV:<\/strong> Dan Sheehan (Ireland &amp; Leinster) <\/p>\n<p><strong>TEST SUB: <\/strong>Dewi Lake (Wales &amp; Ospreys) <\/p>\n<p><strong>MID WEEK:<\/strong> Theo Dan (England &amp; Saracens)<\/p>\n<p>Starting off in the hookers depth chart, and we see only one man as the out-right Test starter for the 2029 Lions tour. Dan Sheehan has already captained the British &amp; Irish Lions in their mid-week match against Western Force, as Maro Itoje took a break fresh from arriving in Australia. Sheehan has been tremendous all tour and the Irishman is rightfully staking a claim to be the first name on the team sheet this Summer, never mind in four years time when he really comes into his prime. <\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve opted for a new era of front rowers to support Sheehan out in New Zealand, with Wales\u2019 Dewi Lake our pick to take the number 16 jersey for the Test series. Lake will be 30 by the time the New Zealand tour rolls around, and would likely be the first choice hooker should 31-year-old Elliot Dee hang up the Test match boots in the coming years. The same can be said about England\u2019s Theo Dan, who looks ready to take the torch from his Saracens mentor Jamie George once the centurion calls it a day at Test level. <\/p>\n<p>Dan looked all but set for a leading role for England\u2019s 2nd Test against Argentina and the standalone fixture against the USA this Summer, as George was whisked away with the Lions following the injury to fellow countryman Luke Cowan-Dickie. However, Dan himself picked up an ankle injury, that has curtailed his Summer tour in dramatic fashion. Dan will be 28-years-old in 2029, with four more years of experience he will be ready for the enormity of the Lions tour. <\/p>\n<p><strong>PROPS <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>TEST XV: (LOOSE-HEAD):<\/strong> Andrew Porter (Ireland &amp; Leinster)<\/p>\n<p><strong>TEST XV: (TIGHT-HEAD): <\/strong>Will Stuart (England &amp; Bath) <\/p>\n<p><strong>TEST SUB: (LOOSE-HEAD): <\/strong>Asher Opoku-Fordjour (England &amp; Sale Sharks) <\/p>\n<p><strong>TEST SUB (TIGHT-HEAD): <\/strong>Zander Fagerson (Scotland &amp; Glasgow Warriors)<\/p>\n<p><strong>MID WEEK: (LOOSE-HEAD):<\/strong> Fin Baxter (England &amp; Harlequins) <\/p>\n<p><strong>MID WEEK: (TIGHT-HEAD):<\/strong> Kieron Assiratti (Wales &amp; Cardiff) <\/p>\n<p><strong>TRAINING SQUAD:<\/strong> Kemsley Mathias (Wales &amp; Scarlets) <\/p>\n<p>So, a real mix of propping talent from across the British &amp; Irish isles, with each nation represented in our picks for the 2029 front row options. We\u2019ll begin with the Test starters, and we can see a veteran pair of 33-year-olds nailed down for the one and three jerseys in Andrew Porter and Will Stuart. The duo have each emerged as the first-choice props for their respective nations, with Ireland\u2019s legendary loose-head Cian Healy retiring this season, along with England\u2019s grizzled tight-head Dan Cole. <\/p>\n<p>In four years time, Porter and Stuart will be coming towards the tale end of their careers, with plentiful experience backing them to be the first choice pillars of the 2029 Lions scrum. On the bench for the Test series, we can see England\u2019s enigmatic break-out prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour making a name for himself over the next four years, as the Sale man will be 25 when the next tour comes around. Opoku-Fordjour was called up to the Lions training camp after Zander Fagerson withdrew from the squad earlier this Summer due to a devastating injury. We can see both the England and Scotland props heading to New Zealand in four years time.  <\/p>\n<p>The baby-faced bruiser Fin Baxter then joins the tour, along with imposing Wales prop Kieron Assiratti. Baxter will be 27 and Assiratti 32 when the Lions jet off to New Zealand, with an array of international experience under their belts by the time they become Lions tourists. We\u2019ve selected another Welsh prop to bolster the training squad, with Kemsley Mathias set to hit his on-field prime ahead of the tour. <\/p>\n<p><strong>LOCKS <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>TEST XV: (LOCK 4)<\/strong> Maro Itoje (C) (England &amp; Saracens)<\/p>\n<p><strong>TEST XV: (LOCK 5)<\/strong> Joe McCarthy (Ireland &amp; Leinster) <\/p>\n<p><strong>TEST SUB:<\/strong> Ollie Chessum (England &amp; Leicester Tigers) <\/p>\n<p><strong>MID WEEK: <\/strong>George Martin (England &amp; Leicester Tigers) <\/p>\n<p><strong>MID WEEK: <\/strong>Dafydd Jenkins (Wales &amp; Exeter Chiefs) <\/p>\n<p><strong>TRAINING SQUAD: <\/strong>Junior Kpoku (England &amp; Racing 92) <\/p>\n<p>Onto the engine room now, with Maro Itoje our pick to retain the captain\u2019s armband for a second consecutive tour. The lock would take up the Alun Wyn Jones role, as the experienced elder statesman to command his troops through the Test series against the All Blacks. Itoje\u2019s Lions career would then come full circle, as the Saracens stalwart made his touring debut against New Zealand upon the 2017 tour that infamously ended in a drawn series. <\/p>\n<p>Partnering Itoje in the Test match locks would be Ireland\u2019s Joe McCarthy, who looks set to explode upon the Test match stage in the coming months. The 24-year-old has shown flashes of brilliance for Leinster, during their United Rugby Championship winning season, and with Ireland as he now has 19 caps under his belt. McCarthy has already been a stand-out performer in the Lions\u2019 red, with an unrelenting work rate and dominance in contact making him former Lions skipper-turned pundit Sam Warburton\u2019s pick to partner Itoje for the Test series against Australia. The same and more would be expected for NZ \u201929. <\/p>\n<p>Taking the number 19 jersey for the 2029 Lions tour in our eyes is Ollie Chessum, given how the England and Leicester Tigers man brings such valuable versatility to the Test stage. Comfortable at both lock and when called upon in the back row, Chessum is a phenomenal operator who will be hitting his prime at 28-years-old when the 2029 tour comes around. <\/p>\n<p>We can also see space for Chessum\u2019s England and Tigers teammate George Martin to make his Lions debut in 2029. Martin\u2019s litany of injuries kept him side-lined for the trip \u2018down under\u2019, as he is spending the Summer rehabbing a problematic knee and arduous shoulder issue that hindered his latest season. We also predict a place for former Wales captain Dafydd Jenkins upon the 2029 tour, as the Exeter Chiefs man would be 26-year, and a battle-hardened Welsh stalwart when the Lions selectors come calling. <\/p>\n<p>Rounding off the locks is our \u2018bolter\u2019 of a pick, as England U20s lock Junior Kpoku is making waves at such an early stage of his career. Kpoku is currently plying his trade with Racing 92, yet a move to the Premiership would bring him onto the England books and commence his four year run of Test match experience. Currently only 19, Kpoku would be a 23-year-old break-out star upon the 2029 tour. <\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ruck.co.uk\/british-irish-lions-2029-fixtures-guide-andy-farrell-to-take-charge\/2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CONTINUES ON PAGE TWO<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Like this:<\/p>\n<p>Like Loading&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"sd-link-color\"\/>\t\t\t<script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The British &amp; Irish Lions are set to break new ground in 2029 \u2014 with a\u00a0fixture in the&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":390868,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4102],"tags":[4151,79,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-390867","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-rugby","8":"tag-rugby","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115132547998110702","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/390867","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=390867"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/390867\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/390868"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=390867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=390867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=390867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}