Andy Farrell names heavily dominant Irish squad for Lions tour

May 8, 2025

Andy Farrell has named a heavy Irish contingent in his Lions 38-man squad with 15 players included for the summer tour of Australia.

England’s Mario Itoje was unsurprisingly named captain, as Ireland’s Caelan Doris missed out. The Leinster star suffered a shoulder injury against Northampton Saints at the weekend.

From the forwards, Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan, Tadhg Furlong, Ronan Kelleher, Joe McCarthy, Andrew Porter, James Ryan, Dan Sheehan and Josh van der Flier were among the Irish picks.

The backs include Bundee Aki, Jamison Gibson-Park, Mack Hansen, Hugo Keenan, James Lowe and Garry Ringrose. In total, Leinster have 12 representatives, Munster have one in Beirne and Connacht have two.

British and Irish Lions assistant coach Johnny Sexton said: “A huge day for all the players and their families.

“I have been on both sides of it, where it’s the best day of your career and then where it’s the worst day of your career.

“I have experience as a player and being able to pass on my experience is something I’m passionate about.”

Wales have just two representatives in Jac Morgan and Tomos Williams, England have 12, and there will be eight players from Scotland.

Itoje, who becomes just the second English captain, said: “It’s an enormous honour and privilege to think about the people who have held this position before. It’s remarkable. It’s an honour and I will do my very best to contribute to a successful tour.”

Revealing when Farrel shared the news, Itoje said: “I found out on Tuesday, I got a call from an Irish number. I don’t have many Irish people calling me! I picked up, and when I heard a Wigan accent, I put two and two together.”

Farrell’s squad includes 26 debutants, while nine players take part in their second tour. Owen Farrell, George Ford and Sam Prendergast all miss out.