Lions squad 2013

Test Side

1. Healy
2. Hibbard
3. Jones
4. Launchbury
5. Wyn Jones (c)
6. Warburton
7. Tipuric
8. Faletau
9. Phillips
10. Sexton
11. North
12. Twelvetrees
13. Edwards
14. Cuthbert
15. Halfpenny

Reserves

Jenkins, Best, Cole, Ryan Jones, Youngs, Farrell, Brown, Roberts

Dirt-trackers

1. Marler
2. Youngs
3. Grant
4. Hamilton
5. Coombs
6. Robshaw (c)
7. Haskell
8. Morgan
9. Weir
10. Biggar
11. Maitland
12. Tuilagi
13. Barritt
14. Bowe/Zebo
15. Hogg

Overal count per nation:

Wales 16

England 13

Scotland 5

Ireland 4

Healy is the only really surprising choice in the first XV, but the Lions probably can't work Jenkins back to starting fitness in time after the end of season in France. Wyn Jones wins his place as the experienced captain as well as on form. Twelvetrees for some creativity against the Aussie backs. Ryan Jones is there to cover a lot of positions and is probably unlucky on “utility back five” tag and how well that Wales back row worked against England. Parling is unlucky to miss the flight but I wanted the option of a big centre or an extra kicker from hand and so had to squeeze both Roberts and Farrell in somehow! If I swap out Farrell and Roberts for Hook, then Parling would get on the plane - but picking someone who no longer gets a lot of playing time on the international stage seems unreasonable.

In the dirt trackers, Maitland is in as a good utility back, but also with his Crusaders experience of other stadia, players and the like. I think someone with first-hand experience adds to watching video and well Wales know the main players all too well, I expect some fresh blood too, mainly from the young Brumbies on current form. I'd like to take both Bowe and Zebo, but I'm not sure on fitness grounds, so they're bracketed. Biggar starts here for extra experience. If Sexton is injured or out of form he'd jump straight up to the test squad for me, over Farrell.

If I can take extra bodies over the 38 listed, Parling and then probably the young Welsh prop (James I think?) make it up to a 40-man squad.

O'Driscoll, it won't surprise those of you that listen to me talk about rugby, doesn't make a 4th trip. Yes, he has a load of experience and flashes of brilliance. If he does go, he could provide the x-factor that wins a game for the Lions. But so could Edwards and Twelvetrees that I've picked in the centres ahead of him. I think they're more likely to do that than O'Driscoll, than the 2013 model of O'Driscoll anyway. Neither of them are as good as BOD in his pomp but in his final years? Both perform better week-in, week-out.