Former British and Irish Lions boss Warren Gatland has revealed the three France-based players that he would consider selecting for the 2025 tour to Australia.
Gatland coached the touring team in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa between 2013 and 2021 but next year it will be current Ireland boss Andy Farrell who has the challenging job of picking a squad to claim a series victory over the Wallabies.
Selecting a squad from the likes of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales is difficult enough but for Farrell, there is another caveat with several star players now plying their trade in France too.
The challenge of selecting Top 14 players
That comes with its own issues as the French Top 14 final is on the same day as the first game in Australia against the Western Force and eight days after the showdown against Argentina in Dublin.
This means that if Farrell intends on picking France-based players, they may only arrive in Australia long after the rest of the Lions squad unless an earlier release is agreed upon with the Top 14 club.
Gatland was fortunate that full-back Leigh Halfpenny had included a clause in his contract to secure his release for the Lions in 2017 and he ultimately missed the Top 14 final, which his side lost. However, this might not be the case for the stars currently based in France.
Still, the current Wales boss has picked out three players who he would consider going through the trouble of sorting out their availability.
England trio in France
The first of which is Andy Farrell’s son, Owen Farrell, who is plying his trade with Racing 92. Gatland explained that the father-son, coach-player relationship was not an issue for the pair in 2013 and 2017 and believes that if Owen fits in with what Andy wants from the squad, then he should select him.
“I never picked anyone who wasn’t playing international rugby, but it has been done before,” Gatland wrote in his Telegraph column.
“To do so would be because there is a bit of a hole somewhere in the squad that you need to fill with a former international who has a proven Test record. With a player like Owen, you know his pedigree and quality. I can see the case for bringing him.”
Warren Gatland pinpoints the potential stumbling block for Owen Farrell’s British and Irish Lions call
The New Zealander picked out another two former England internationals in Toulouse’s Jack Willis – who could well be playing in the Top 14 final – and Brive’s Courtney Lawes.
“I know Andy has a lot of other back-row options, but I think Willis has an X-factor,” Gatland added.
“Courtney was outstanding for us on the tour of South Africa in 2021, forcing his way into the Test team despite missing half the season because of injury. Less than six months ago he was winning a Premiership title. He might be thinking he is coming to the end of his career. But with the Lions you are not picking for the future.”
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