British & Irish Lions selection

Choosing 40 players meant there were unlikely to be any surprises but Sam Prendergast, Ben White, Jack Willis and Owen Farrell – -all at French clubs – never made it, nor did Robbie Henshaw.

Prendergast paid for a poor performance for Leinster against Northampton Saints but his day will come.

For 20 year old Henry Pollock it already has. Some might be surprised that Marcus Smith made the squad but he can provide cover for full back.

I take Jameson Gibson Park and Finn Russell to start; an all Irish front row of Furlong, Sheehan and Porter; Bierne and Itoje as locks; and a back row of Josh Van der Flier, Ben Earl and Tom Curry. It’s harder to pick the players behind the pack but Tommy Freeman, Bundee Aki and Blair Kinghorn must surely be there.

Since the days of Campese, Horen and Eales Australia have struggled to provide top class opposition so the Lions should win.