British and Irish Lions squad LIVE: Owen Farrell misses out and captaincy selection revealed
Maro Itoje has been named captain as Andy Farrell unveiled his squad for the tour of Australia
The British and Irish Lions squad has been named but Owen Farrell has been left out of the group that will travel to Australia, with former England teammate Maro Itoje selected as captain.
Farrell misses out on selection for a fourth tour after being excluded from a 38-player group by Lions head coach Andy Farrell, his father. After a season plagued by injuries, Farrell missed out on inclusion as one of three fly halves, with Scotland’s Finn Russell and fellow Englishmen Fin and Marcus Smith preferred.
Itoje was named captain after an injury to Ireland’s Caelan Doris, while English young gun Henry Pollock is included. The one-cap flanker only made his England debut in March, scoring two tries against Wales in Cardiff, but even at 20 years old he has emerged as a blockbuster talent.
Follow all of the latest as the Lions squad is revealed with our live blog below:
It's time
Here we go. Ieuan Evans is about to announce the Lions forwards, in alphabetical order, first up
Itoje reveals when he found out he was captain
Maro Itoje is interviewed on stage after the announcement. He reveals that he found out on Tuesday when he received a call from an Irish number and presumed it was Farrell (he didn’t have his number saved).
The Wigan brogue on the other end of the line when he answered confirmed it!
Itoje seemingly a popular choice if the crowd in the O2 are anything to go by. A “ooooh Maro Itoje” chant rings round the arena
Itoje and Farrell react to captaincy selection
Some quotes from both Maro Itoje and Andy Farrell after Itoje was named as skipper.
Farrell said: “I want to congratulate Maro on being named captain of the British and Irish Lions.
“This is a great honour for Maro, his family and everyone who has supported him throughout his career from Saracens to England - and on to the Lions in 2017 and 2021.
“As a two-time tourist, Maro fully understands what the Lions is all about and also the role of the captain in helping the group achieve its goal of winning a Test Series this summer.”
Itoje said: “It feels amazing to be named Lions captain.
"I’m deeply honoured, humbled and I will do my best to do the role justice. I am very much looking forward to the challenge ahead, it’s going to be a great tour.
"I know the appetite amongst the players is extremely high, everyone is hungry to be a Lion and I can’t wait to play my role.”
Maro Itoje named as Lions captain
And there it is. As expected, England skipper Maro Itoje has been named as captain of the 2025 British and Irish Lions.
It appeared to be a straight shootout between Itoje and Ireland’s Caelan Doris but Doris’s ill-timed shoulder injury opened things up for Itoje.
Well deserved and when Andy Farrell announces Itoje’s name, he’s roared on to the stage by the crowd at the O2.
Captain about to be named
We’ll be finding out who has been named as Lions captain first. We’re expecting it to be Maro Itoje.
Andy Farrell says a Lions captain needs to be a beacon for his teammates
Here come Farrell and Evans
Head coach Andy Farrell and announcer extraordinaire (and Lions chair) Ieuan Evans have been introduced to the stage.
Farrell says he’s not nervous because now all the pressure is on Evans as the man reading the names - his job is done!
Evans then reminisces about his own Lions selection experiences and gets a laugh when he says his first tour selection was announced by telegram.
It’s your standard corporate fare and you know what, I don’t mind it.
Squad naming imminent
Right, live coverage has started on Sky Sports and the Lions YouTube channel. Lee McKenzie and Ugo Monye on hosting duties on the O2 stage. Safe hands.
This is exciting stuff
Who will be in the squad?
Final call to check out the predicted squad from our Rugby Correspondent Harry Latham-Coyle.
How right (or wrong) will he prove to be...?
British & Irish Lions 2025: Predicting the squad to tour Australia
How will the squad naming work?
The Lions captain will be the only player at the O2 today, we believe, with the rest of those in contention left to wait and watch at home.
The squad will be named alphabetically in two categories, with a break between the forwards and backs. Lions chair, and former three-time tourist, Ieuan Evans is the man tasked with reading out the names.
That could mean a particularly anxious wait for the third scrum half to be revealed - it is thought that Ben White and Tomos Williams are probably vying for that spot, with one of them likely to be the last name read out.
How many Welshmen will be selected?
Perhaps unsurprisingly, given their dismal form in recent months, we aren’t expecting many Welshmen to be named in Andy Farrell’s squad.
How many will there be? Three? Four? Only one? It will be fascinating to find out.
You’d say there are probably five or six legitimate Welsh contenders unless Farrell opts for a true bolter like Blair Murray in the back three or gives one of Adam Beard or Will Rowlands a surprise nod in the second row.
Hooker Dewi Lake, prop Nicky Smith, lock Dafydd Jenkins, back rowers Jac Morgan and Taulupe Faletau and scrum half Tomos Williams are the men with a genuine shot. I’d have Morgan as almost a lock, Williams very likely, Lake quite likely, then the remaining three as possibles.
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