British & Irish Lions squad: 10 players who have wrongly flown under the radar including ‘versatile utility weapon’

Archie Starkey 29 Apr 2025 4:30 PM

We’re just over a week away from the British & Irish Lions squad announcement, and it’s fair to say everyone is more than ready to find out who will receive a plane ticket Down Under.

Speculation has been rife, with opinions from ex-tourists to journalists across the board casting their votes on who should make the coveted touring squad that will start their tour in Dublin against Argentina on June 20.

The pool of talent has been vigorously divided from the shoo-ins to outside shots – yet for many potential British and Irish rugby stars, their names just simply haven’t been nearly enough in the equation.

We know that Maro Itoje, Caelan Doris and Finn Russell have all but secured their place on the plane to Australia, but which other proven Test match performers haven’t quite received the recognition they deserve?

Let’s take a closer look at 10 potential British & Irish Lions candidates that have flown under the radar this season.

Dewi Lake (Wales)

A powerful hooker and proven leader who has co-captained Wales with touted Lion, Jac Morgan. It’s been surprising that there haven’t been more calls for Lake’s inclusion with his vocal persona.

Injury has undoubtedly been a factor as the Ospreys player has not had the pre-Lions tour game time that he would have expected since taking a firm hold of the Welsh number two jersey from Ken Owens.

Dafydd Jenkins (Wales)

It’s hard to believe that the second-row is only 22, having captained Wales on multiple occasions and as a week-on-week starter for Exeter Chiefs.

Jenkins possesses leadership, work rate and is a weapon at the lineout. You can’t help but think Exeter’s dreadful season is the cause for the lack of support for his Lions inclusion.

Nicky Smith (Wales)

Smith has been revolutionary at scrum time and a pest around the breakdown as Michael Cheika’s trusted loosehead prop during Leicester Tigers’ Premiership resurgence.

It’s been the likes of Andrew Porter and Ellis Genge that have stolen the spotlight, but the vast improvement in Smith’s set-piece impact and carrying dominance suggests he probably hasn’t received the praise he deserves.

Tom Rogers (Wales)

Rogers produced a few moments of magic that were dampened by Wales’ second consecutive Six Nations Wooden Spoon, including some fearless takes under the high ball and some elusive feet that would suit the style of rugby in Australia.

He’s versatile and can cover anywhere in the back three with a rapid turn of foot, however, he’s relatively raw in Test match rugby, and this may have contributed to the lack of serious attention.

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Robbie Henshaw (Ireland)

A proven Lions performer who started in their last tour to South Africa in 2021, Henshaw’s name has been surprisingly absent in pre-tour articles, podcasts and punditry speculation.

The Leinster centre has struggled of late with injuries but is a proven performer and defensive rock who could be trusted under the greatest pressure. The emergence of new exciting centres in recent years have likely been his downfall.

Jack Conan (Ireland)

The leadership and consistency of Doris at number eight for Ireland has led to many forgetting about the capabilities of Conan, especially since his immense return to form.

Many forget that he was one of the surprise stars of the 2021 Lions tour who started the Test series at number eight. He’s now well and truly re-emerged and is a real candidate for the famous red eight jersey.

Freddie Steward (England)

It can’t be denied that Steward is utterly dependable at full-back on the international stage. His dominance in the air, defence and much-improved running game make him a more than capable option.

Since being replaced by George Furbank as England’s first-choice full-back, Steward has returned to his great heights under the guidance of Cheika at Leicester Tigers and seems to be finding form at just the right time.

Elliot Daly (England)

Regardless of form, Daly is just a dependable and versatile utility weapon – capable of slotting in on the wing, centre or at full-back.

His long-range kicking combined with vast experience including the 2017 and 2021 Lions tours make it surprising to many that he’s not seen as a more backed Lions asset with the vast skillset he offers.

Luke Cowan-Dickie (England)

Another player who’s had a great Six Nations and a monumental resurgence is Cowan-Dickie, who is back to his best with both his club, Sale Sharks, and England.

The hooker has found a good run of fitness and has arguably done all he needs to do to prove to Farrell that he’s a genuine option as back-up to Dan Sheehan. Shouldn’t he be an easy selection for the tour?

Darcy Graham (Scotland)

Dazzling feet and a prolific finisher, Graham’s threat is in his ability to beat defenders one-on-one and finish audacious tries for Scotland, a true asset to have in a matchday 23 down under.

Yes, injuries have dented his Lions stock, but Graham seems to have found great domestic form for Edinburgh, including a European semi-final. We all know what he’s capable of, and if healthy, it’s hard to see him continue to fly under the radar.

British and Irish Lions