TOP 12 LIONS BOLTERS

Andy Farrell names his British & Irish Lions squad on 8 May and we sense a bolter or two. Here are a dozen left-field contenders...

- JOE ROBINSON

Whether it’s rugby union newbie Jason Robinson being jetted into the 2001 tour to Australia or an uncapped Will Greenwood travelling to South Africa in 1997, a British & Irish Lions tour only feels right if there are one or two bolters in the squad. It's one of the traditions that makes the Lions tour what it is!

When Andy Farrell names his squad for this year’s journey Down Under, the majority of those on the plane will be obvious picks. But one or two will have come from left field. We've picked 12 such players who could fit the mould...

NICKY SMITH Wales

Most observers will agree that Ireland’s Andrew Porter and England’s Ellis Genge are the first two loosehead props on the plane to Australia this summer. The question is who is the third option? May we present to you Nicky Smith of Leicester Tigers and Wales.

He usurped Gareth Thomas as a starter in the Six Nations and contributed to the best scrum win percentage of any home nation (85%) - one of the few things that went well for Wales during the championship. Smith could sneak it ahead of Scotland's Pierre Schoeman.

OWEN FARRELL England

Ooh la la! While Monsieur Owen Farrell’s time in Paris has been as stinky as an Epoisses de Bourgogne, don't be surprised if head coach Andy calls upon his son for a fourth Lions tour. An option at fly-half or centre, the 33-years-old’s selection wouldn't be based on current performances but on his impressive back catalogue. Fly-half is a position still up for grabs, and his vast experience could be a trump card for selection. Farrell is renowned as one of rugby’s great modern leaders, a man who drives standards and cruically is someone who knows what it takes to win a Lions tour.