Lions Door remains open if snubbed players channel frustration, says Will Greenwood | Rugby Union News

The excitement and expectation in front of a British and Irish Lions tour means that the reflection period after Andy Farrell’s team message will be short.

Almost 24 hours have passed since Maro Itoje was appointed captain of a 38-man team for this summer’s tour in Australia, and the feeling of confidence in Farrell’s choice is already tangible.

While there is some disappointment over omissions, there is no one in pieces. No one throws rotten tomatoes at Farrell; Instead, there is excitement for a fabulous tour where the lions are expected to win. The pressure is already mounted.

Now the team is revealed, the focus is changing to the next effort: to name the test team. But the reality is that if everyone wrote their start XV right now, most people would only get seven or eight correct.

The probability is, for the 38 named players, only 36 will come on the plane. Injuries, URC, Premier League – there is still a lot of rugby coming and Rugby is an ugly, cruel sport.

Just ask Caelan Doris, who would certainly have been in this team and will always wonder if the captain should be his.

Given the violent sport we are, the unfortunate time of an injury will exclude some and those in Australia will also collect injuries.

There is a story of players not in the original team or on the initial flight that ends up playing in the test series at the end of a tough tour. Martin Corry flew out in 2001 and played in all the tests Ryan Jones did the same in 2005.

Players like Owen Farrell, Jamie George, Robbie Henshaw, Dave Ribbans, Darcy Graham, Jack Willis, Ben Curry, Taulupe Faletau and Courtney Lawes have to stay fit and continue to play well.

My message to them is to be disappointed, go kick on a door, stamp on a grape, but use the frustration to push forward.

What has brought these players to the top of the international rugby is their resilience, durability and ability to dust down and jump back. Maybe with an injury, the door opens again.

Coach has their go-to-players

Of those who need to miss, Darcy Graham is incredibly unlucky. But who would you have omitted to include him? Andy Farrell always chooses Mack Hansen. There are always players that a coach will say, “I trust him, I like him, I know what he is doing.”

In the Premier League, with Brendan McCullum in Cricket and Tracey Neville in Netball, some coaches have their go-to players.

You get some luck in your career. I was lucky with Sir Clive Woodward who always chose me. Around that era, there were four coaches who could have been the England coach and not one of them would have chosen me.

You work hard throughout your career and then you get some luck with a coach who sees something in you that others don’t. They ignore Naysayers because they know their “horse” will jump the chair and win the Grand National!

With Ireland’s dip in form and Leinster is beaten by Northampton in the Champions Cup, some may be surprised that 15 Irish players were selected. But the Leinster and Ireland’s group have not been coached by Farrell for the past six months and he knows that when he has them they deliver.

Farrell believes in his players. In the case of Hansen and James Ryan, their choice is a result of the hard-deserved brownie points, they accumulated with Farrell, who then became a Lions coach.

They did not choose the Lions coach, but they will take full advantage of it. And good luck to them because most players at some point of their careers have benefited from a coach who sees something in them that others do not.

Fabulous young player selected for lions

Henry Pollock’s journey to become a British and Irish Lions tourist has been nothing short of amazing. The reality is that he has played exceptionally well for a few years.

Many players have burst on stage throughout history, and there have been cases where players who have not played for their country were chosen for the lions.

We have not discovered a unicorn in Henry Pollock. He is the next in a large number of players that Coaches sees potential in and believes can deliver at a relatively young age instead of waiting until they are 24 or 25.

I do not neglect it; Pollock has appeared as a World XV player. Age and experience goes out the window when you appear as he is. You come on the tour because of your rugby and the quality of your performances.

In the current climate, with social media and Bandwagons, things can gather extraordinary momentum. The headline should be: A fabulous young rugby player who has played brilliantly is selected for a Lions team – the end of.

Itoje has the presence to lead lions

Where do you start with Maro Itoje, the 47th British and Irish Lions -Captain?

He is a destructive strength on the field for a week, and a global presence from the next one chatting with Sir Keir Stolling in Downing Street and running the show.

Proud of his history and heritage he always recognizes the past before defines a new future.

The boys who have played under him talk a lot about him, just like those who played under Martin Johnson – England’s last Lions captain – does.

He is an incredible rugby player, a gentleman, a friend of rugby and above all an incredible person. The lions are stronger under his presence and leadership.

Sky Sports Will only show the 2025 British and Irish Lions tours in Australia, with all three samples against Wallabies and six warm-up matches that will only appear live.