Nail-biting time for Lions in waiting

It’s almost a cliche — Irish players hoping to make the Lions squad for the trip to Australia will be glued to their televisions this morning — but in this case it’s true.

Unlike squad announcements for most high-profile sporting events, barring those occasional blunders of Giovanni Trapattoni, the players will not be told before the public.

Only the captain, heavily tipped to be Wales Sam Warburton, has been told his seat on the plane is secure so he can be at the Syan Park Hilton in West London for the press conference.