No Country for Old Men This Pride of Young Lions Has Talent and Flexibility

Owen Farrell's initial omission suggests his father knows he will need youthful vigour to succeed in Australia

- Robert Kitson

At long last, significant smoke has also emerged from the British & Irish Lions' chimney. Maro Itoje will be leading a 38-strong squad to Australia and a couple of the names on the list would raise any cardinal's eyebrows. Henry Pollock and Marcus Smith will be heading down under with their head coach, Andy Farrell, clearly keen to make an immediate impact next month.

Farrell has chosen a hefty cohort of 15 Irishmen alongside 13 Englishmen, eight Scots and two Welsh representatives, but the inclusion of the 20-year-old Pollock sends a clear signal to Australia that the 2025 Lions will be neither geriatric pussycats nor obsessive slaves to conservatism. The squad should contain enough flexibility to cope with most eventualities and sufficient talent to be highly competitive.

They are not, however, the most experienced pride of Lions selected. Farrell has left behind a bucketload of Test caps, with Jamie George, Courtney Lawes, Taulupe Faletau and, last but not least, his son Owen all missing out. Farrell Sr has played and watched enough rugby in Australia in his time to know that, sporting-wise, it tends to be no country for too many old men, particularly with the modern game growing faster by the week.

In many ways it is refreshing although, equally, a Lions tour is no place for diffident ingenues.