England back-row Henry Pollock's remarkable rise continued after he was named in the British & Irish Lions squad for the 2025 tour in Australia, while Marcus Smith was also included but there was no place in the squad for Owen Farrell, Sam Prendergast, Darcy Graham, Tom Jordan, Jamie George, Caelan Doris or George Ford.
Andy Farrell named a 38-player squad on Thursday at the O2 Arena in London, with Maro Itoje crowned captain of the 2025 Lions. Pollock, 20, was the standout bolter for the tour given he only made his Test debut for England in March, but there were other eye-catching players included.
Fin Smith, Finn Russell and Marcus Smith travel as the three fly-halves, while Daly also makes the cut for what will be his third Test. Blair Kinghorn is the only France-based player chosen, meaning the much-admired Jack Willis misses out as Farrell named a squad of 21 forwards and 17 backs.