{"id":66290,"date":"2025-05-01T17:58:08","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T17:58:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/66290\/"},"modified":"2025-05-01T17:58:08","modified_gmt":"2025-05-01T17:58:08","slug":"clive-woodward-names-just-two-wales-players-in-his-lions-tour-squad-planet-rugby","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/66290\/","title":{"rendered":"Clive Woodward names just TWO Wales players in his Lions tour squad : Planet Rugby"},"content":{"rendered":"

With a week to go to Andy Farrell\u2019s announcement of his 2025 British and Irish Lions tour squad, Clive Woodward has named a 37-strong group \u2013 consisting of 14 England players, 14 Irish, seven Scottish and just two Welsh \u2013 that he would like to see travel to Australia. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Farrell has been on a sabbatical from his Ireland job since the end of last year\u2019s Autumn Nations Series and there is just one weekend of matches \u2013 the Champions and Challenge Cup semi-finals \u2013 remaining before he declares his hand in London on May 8.<\/p>\n

It will be no easy task for the former England assistant coach, who travelled on the 2013 and 2017 tours as part of Warren Gatland\u2019s staff, to cut down his long list of around 75 players to a final squad of between 36 and 38. <\/p>\n

However, ahead of that selection process which will take place next week, Woodward, who was Lions head coach on their disastrous 2005 trip to New Zealand where the Test series was lost 0-3, has unveiled in his latest Sportsmail column<\/a> the squad he would like to see chosen for a 10-match trip that begins in Dublin on June 20 versus Argentina and ends in Sydney with the third and final Test versus the Wallabies on August 2<\/a>. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

England\u2019s second-place finish in the recent Six Nations has influenced Woodward\u2019s thinking as he wants to see Maro Itoje captain the Lions squad.<\/p>\n

Jack Willis and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso make Woodward\u2019s cut<\/p>\n

However, aside from naming a dozen players who played in recent championship matches for Steve Borthwick, he also included Jack Willis, the Toulouse-based back-rower currently ineligible for England, and Exeter\u2019s fitness-fighting Immanuel Feyi-Waboso in his squad. <\/p>\n

Woodward\u2019s suggested 14-strong England representation was mirrored by his desire to have 14 Ireland players included, including rookie fly-half Sam Prendergast.<\/p>\n

\n

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: This is the 37-man Lions squad that Andy Farrell should pick next week https:\/\/t.co\/Z9OtQ0F4xo<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Mail Sport (@MailSport) May 1, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Seven Scottish players also made his cut (just two forwards, mind) but only two Welsh players were considered good enough for inclusion \u2013 scrum-half Tomos Williams and back-rower Jac Morgan. <\/p>\n

Here is the position-by-position breakdown of the squad of 37 suggested by Woodward: <\/p>\n

BACK THREE (6)<\/strong>: Blair Kinghorn (Scotland), Hugo Keenan (Ireland), Tommy Freeman (England), James Lowe (Ireland), Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland), Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (England)<\/p>\n

CENTRES (4):<\/strong> Bundee Aki (Ireland), Sione Tuipulotu (Scotland), Huw Jones (Scotland), Garry Ringrose (Ireland)<\/p>\n

FLY-HALF (4):<\/strong> Finn Russell (Scotland), Sam Prendergast (Ireland), Fin Smith (England), Marcus Smith (England)<\/p>\n

SCRUM-HALF (3):<\/strong> Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland), Alex Mitchell (England), Tomos Williams (Wales)<\/p>\n

FRONT ROW (9):<\/strong> Andrew Porter (Ireland), Ellis Genge (England), Pierre Schoeman (Scotland), Dan Sheehan (Ireland), Ronan Kelleher (Ireland), Luke Cowan-Dickie (England), Tadhg Furlong (Ireland), Zander Fagerson (Scotland), Will Stuart (England)<\/p>\n

SECOND ROW (5):<\/strong> Maro Itoje (England, captain), Tadhg Beirne (Ireland), Joe McCarthy (Ireland), Ollie Chessum (England), George Martin (England)<\/p>\n

BACK ROW (6):<\/strong> Tom Curry (England), Jack Willis (England), Josh van der Flier (Ireland), Jac Morgan (Wales), Caelan Doris (Ireland), Ben Earl (England)<\/p>\n

Woodward, who predicts the Lions will win the Test series 2-1, also named his Test team for the series that will open against Australia in Brisbane on July 19. It consisted of six England players (Genge, Stuart, Itoje, Willis, Curry and Freeman), five Ireland (Sheehan, Beirne, Doris, Gibson-Park and Lowe) and four Scotland (Russell, Tuipulotu, Jones and Kinghorn). \u00a0<\/p>\n

READ MORE<\/strong>: World Rugby accused of \u2018rewarding failure\u2019 following \u2018appalling\u2019 Andrea Piardi\u2019s Lions Test appointment<\/a><\/p>\n