With just a month to go until Andy Farrell names his squad, the battle for starting spots on the British & Irish Lions tour is reaching fever pitch.
As contenders stake their claim across Europe's top competitions, one legend has now weighed in on the biggest selection debate of them all – who wears the coveted No.10 jersey in 2025?
Competition: Get a Chance to Watch the Lions in Australia
Speaking on The Rugby Podduring the 2025 Six Nations, Jonny Wilkinson explained why Fin Smith's performance against Scotland had particularly impressed him.
He highlighted the England fly-half's patience and composure, calling it a "powerful" aspect of his game.
Wilkinson said: "I think early on in my career, I would have just been too exuberant and too kind of keen to just fly around the place to have had the kind of composure and calm and the vision and what have you.
"And then at other times later on in my career, I would have been too keen, like you said, to try and make something happen.
"But he found that balance between the two, having the patience, the poise, and the trust just in his team to wait. And I think that's quite powerful."
Despite his admiration for Smith, Wilkinson believes Lions head coach Andy Farrell may opt for Ireland's Sam Prendergast instead, citing the fly-half's familiarity with Farrell's style of play.
He explained: "I don't know Andy Farrell's preferences.
"I know Owen [Farrell] really quite well and sort of had a connection, I guess, with Johnny Sexton and seeing how he's played his Ireland team in the past, what kind of teams he's had and how that's functioned with a game plan he likes.
"We've seen what he's done with Ireland. We haven't been able to see what he's done with, you know, at this point, another team. What would he do with a team if he had different players?
"As we know, his Ireland team seems to be enormously strong at running these great lines, great movement in the backs, but ruthless, direct team. So I would hazard a guess that that's the kind of look he'll go for with the Lions."
With Ireland dominating the northern hemisphere, could Farrell stick with what he knows? The race for the Lions’ No.10 jersey is far from settled.
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Dan Biggar names bold Lions XV – with big England omissions
Wales legend Dan Biggar has officially called time on his playing career, but not before dropping a blockbuster British & Irish Lions XV on The Rugby Pod – and his picks are bound to raise a few eyebrows.
The 112-cap fly-half, who steered Wales through some of their finest Six Nations and World Cup moments, appeared on Jim Hamilton's podcast this week and revealed his Lions dream team. Spoiler alert: there’s no room for the likes of Owen Farrell, Johnny Sexton, or even himself.
Here's how Biggar's team shaped up…
Front-row firepower: Porter, Sheehan & Furlong
1. Andrew Porter
2. Dan Sheehan
3. Tadhg Furlong
It's an all-Irish affair in the front row, with Biggar backing Leinster’s dominant trio to boss the scrum. Furlong remains the Rolls-Royce of tightheads, while Sheehan and Porter provide dynamism in the loose.
Big boys in the boiler room: Itoje & Beirne
4. Maro Itoje
5. Tadhg Beirne
England's Maro Itoje gets the nod despite some inconsistent recent form, with Biggar clearly still valuing his disruptive brilliance. He's paired with the ever-reliable Beirne – a turnover machine and Lions Test starter in 2021.
Breakdown beasts: Curry, Van Der Flier & Doris (c)
6. Tom Curry
7. Josh van der Flier
8. Caelan Doris (captain)
This back row is pure chaos – in the best possible way. England's Tom Curry returns to the fray, Ireland's Van der Flier adds World Player of the Year pedigree, and Doris, who's fast becoming a modern-day great, takes the armband. A fearless choice.
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