Following the conclusion of the British and Irish Lions tour, we rated every one of the players that Andy Farrell used in Australia and against Argentina in Dublin.
We get things started with the forwards.
Props
Finlay Bealham: Put in a dominant shift on his Lions debut against Argentina after being called into the squad following the injury to Zander Fagerson. However, his performances slipped as the tour progressed, and he was notably poor in his final outing against the First Nations and Pasifika XV (FNP) game. He will be disappointed that he didn’t make a stronger push for a place in the Test team. 5
Ellis Genge: It was a memorable tour overall for the ‘Baby Rhino’, who shone on his debut against Argentina in Dublin with a statement shift in the scrums and around the park. He laid down a marker in that match and maintained that momentum in Australia, where he dominated at scrum time and impressed with ball in hand. After starring in the starting XV in the first Test, Genge was unfortunate to drop to the bench for the next two games against the Wallabies. He was unlucky not to make the tour four years ago, but the English loosehead more than made the most of his opportunity this time around. 8
Tadhg Furlong: There were doubts around how the veteran tighthead prop would fare after being named in the squad despite struggling with his fitness. Injuries hampered his season, but the experienced campaigner proved his worth on the tour as he solidified the scrum for the Lions in each of his appearances. He also notched up an incredible feat by starting a ninth successive Test match for the Lions. While he was a strong presence in the scrum throughout the tour, he wasn’t quite at his best around the park as age perhaps starts to catch up with him. 6
Andrew Porter: Four years ago, he was robbed of the opportunity to play for the Lions through injury but finally got his chance to pull on the red jersey this year. Porter was the opposite of Furlong on this tour as he shone around the park but had soft moments in the scrums, notably in the third Test. While he was dominant at times, so often he was not driving straight and was lucky not to be penalised for it. 5
Pierre Schoeman: Mightily consistent throughout the tour and rather unlucky to have powerhouse props Genge and Porter ahead of him at loosehead. Farrell admitted that he was comfortable with selecting any of the three number ones as a Test starter, and unfortunately for Schoeman, he never got a look-in for the games against the Wallabies. The 31-year-old crucially put a massive shift against FNP in the absence of the aforementioned pair, allowing them to be fit and firing for the Tests. 7
Will Stuart: Some rough patches throughout the tour but really came to the fore in the second Test, making a telling contribution in the come-from-behind victory. The Englishman was in fine form before the tour and didn’t quite replicate that until the Test series, but he was by no means poor before then. 6
Rory Sutherland: One of the several training cover call-ups who featured in the final touring match, the 2021 tourist got just six minutes on the park in the red jersey. He had little to do during that time but helped see out the tight win. 5
Tom Clarkson: Got a small taste of being a British and Irish Lion after he too was a training cover call-up. Clarkson got a fair 30 minutes on the park against FNP and improved the tourists’ scrum, which was struggling. Additionally, he impressed on defence, making all eight of his tackles. We could well see him in the red jersey again in four years’ time. 7
Hookers
Luke Cowan-Dickie: After starting two of the three Tests for the Lions four years ago, the Englishman’s hopes of featuring in the internationals again were crushed after a nasty head injury against the AUNZ XV match. Still, it wasn’t a certainty that he would have cracked the Test team after rather average showings early on. It took a while for the Lions to find accuracy at lineout time, and that wasn’t helped by his poor throws either. A gutting tour overall for the hooker. 4
Ronan Kelleher: Featured in all three Test matches but much like Cowan-Dickie, Kelleher struggled with his throws during the tour. His open play was sharp, as usual, though as he defended tirelessly and carried well enough. Not a standout by any means, but a solid performer. He will rue his inaccuracies in the series finale in particular. 5
Dan Sheehan: Easily one of the best hookers, if not players in the world, right now. It took just 95 seconds for him to score his first try for the Lions as he skippered the side against the Western Force on his debut. The Lions’ lineout certainly had its issues throughout the tour, but when Sheehan was on the park, it was usually better, with the third Test being the exception to the rule. He surely would have been in the running for the Man of the Series award, particularly after his pivotal, yet controversial try in the second Test. His tour ended on a sour note after being cited for his dangerous clearout on Tom Lynagh that went unpunished during the match. Still, the 26-year-old was overall one of the tourists’ best. 8
Ewan Ashman: He came on at the same time as Sutherland in the game against FNP. He missed his lineout jumper with one of his throws but was otherwise fine during his short cameo. 5
Jamie George: Very unlucky to miss out on the touring squad in the first place, but he answered the call from Argentina when Cowan-Dickie suffered his injury. Unfortunately, he was too late to press for involvement in the Test team, but boy did he make a good fist of it in his 70-odd minutes of the final touring match. His throws were accurate, and he was incredibly busy around the park and on both sides of the ball in open play. 7
Locks
Maro Itoje (c): Consistently excellent. Itoje shone against Argentina, setting the tone for his performances to come. He was superb against the Reds and Brumbies before putting in a tidy shift in the first Test against the Wallabies. He went from producing strong captain’s knocks to an outright, outrageous blockbuster in the decisive second Test match. After struggling at first, he began to dominate and was crucial in the Lions’ efforts to come from behind and overturn a 23-5 deficit. His presence in the third Test after his head knock was sorely felt, but overall, it was an outstanding third Lions tour for the skipper. 9
Ollie Chessum: The Englishman rarely has a poor game, and that did not change in the red jersey as he was solid every time he took to the pitch. His shift against the Brumbies secured him a place in the Test team and he featured off the bench in the first and third Wallabies clashes while starting the second. While it was in defeat, Chessum was hugely busy on defence in the series finale. 6
Scott Cummings: The Scotsman only improved as the tour went on after a nightmarish performance in the first game against the Western Force. Cummings fell victim to the Lions’ depth in the second-row as he missed out on the Test series despite saving his best performance for the final touring match before the second Test. 6
Joe McCarthy: Somewhat of a surprise package on the tour as he hit the ground running with a barnstorming performance against the Western Force and was equally impressive against the Waratahs and Brumbies. His shift in the latter secured him a starting role alongside Itoje for the first Test, where he again shone, although only for 43 minutes, with an injury ending his tour. 7
James Ryan: The Irishman struggled for form on the tour with rather average performances against the Waratahs, AUNZ XV, and FNP. However, Farrell took a gamble on the lock for the second Test following McCarthy’s injury and included him on the bench. He made a telling impact in that game and started the third Test. Regrettably, he sustained a nasty injury in that game, cutting his performance short. 6
Gregor Brown: The 24-year-old Scotsman debuted for the Lions against the FNP along with the other training cover call-ups. He wasn’t overly impressive during his 26 minutes on the park, but wasn’t poor either. He will be disappointed with his lineout shift, though. 5
Loose forwards
Tadhg Beirne: The workhorse forward didn’t quite hit his usual highs in the touring matches, where he captained the team twice. Still, his proven pedigree was enough for Farrell to back him to start all three of the Test matches against the Wallabies, and he certainly vindicated that decision with his performances. He was outstanding in the opener, along with Curry, producing a marvellous shift. He backed that up in Melbourne, and while the Lions were outplayed in the third Test, Beirne stood tall and more than held his own. Crowned the Player of the Series for his efforts. 8
Jack Conan: One of three back-rowers who started all of the Tests, Conan was consistent throughout the tour for the Lions. He was particularly strong in the second Test match, and his work rate was immense from his first game to his last. The 33-year-old was quiet during the clash in Sydney but impressed before then. 7
Tom Curry: Much like Beirne, Curry was underwhelming for much of the tour, but showed his quality when it mattered most. He was nothing short of world-class in the opener along with Beirne, and played a massive role in winning the match. He replicated that form in the second Test, grabbing his second try in as many matches for the Lions. Farrell’s charges were underwhelming in the final game of the tour, but Curry was one of the few who still managed to put in a strong performance. 8
Ben Earl: The Englishman was simply sensational against the AUNZ XV in what was the highlight of his tour. When Earl got an opportunity in red, he more often than not took it, even in the defeat to Argentina and was mightily unlucky to miss the second Test. He made some nice carries in the third game versus the Wallabies, capping off a fine tour for him personally, despite the disappointment of not starting in the Tests. 7
Jac Morgan: Following an average showing against Los Pumas, Morgan kicked off his tour Down Under with a powerful display against the Queensland Reds, where he made 21 tackles and scored a try. He impressed again in the victory over the AUNZ XV before the Test series, but not enough to twist Farrell’s arm. However, a fine showing against the FNP did the job as he earned a spot on the bench for the clash against the Wallabies in Melbourne. There, he made a crucial, and controversial, clear-out on Carlo Tizzano in the build-up to the match-winning try, while he made a good impact off the bench in Sydney, scoring what was ultimately a consolation try. 7
Henry Pollock: A rare bolter in the modern era of the Lions, but Pollock certainly made his presence felt and really pushed for a place in the team to face the Wallabies. He shone off the bench against Argentina and backed that up with a blockbuster shift in the comprehensive victory over the Western Force. The 20-year-old was above average in every one of the games he featured in during the tour and can be immensely proud of his efforts. If he continues in this manner, he is bound to be a tourist to New Zealand. 7
Josh van der Flier: Just two starts hampered his chances of featuring in the Test series, as did his lack of versatility, but still, he was one of the most unfortunate players not to face the Wallabies. However, the former World Rugby Player of the Year wasn’t exactly on top of his game on the tour. He had some strong cameos off the bench but was underwhelming in the clash against the FNP and solid in his other start against the Force. At the age of 32, the odds are stacked against him for making the touring squad in four years’ time, but never say never. 6