Woodward wants Six Nations stars

Players not playing in the 2005 RBS 6 Nations Championship will have to have a “compelling reason” to force themselves into the reckoning for next June’s Lions’ tour to New Zealand.

Speaking in Dublin, Lions coach Clive Woodward once again distanced himself from the rumours linking former England internationals Martin Johnson, Neil Back and Lawrence Dallaglio with a Lions return in 2005 – stating: “I want to fundamentally pick players who are available for international rugby.”

He added: “They don’t have to be playing for their country. There may be back-up players who don’t make the starting 15 who still go on the Lions tour. The best example is ’97, when Will Greenwood was uncapped.

“But I would never say never. I want to go with the strongest team, but that player really has to want to go on the Lions tour. Then we will consider him.

“I want players playing in the Six Nations to know they are playing for a Lions place and no one is going to come in from outside that selection criterion, unless there is a compelling reason to bring someone in.”

The former England coach also refused to be drawn on naming the favourite for the captaincy role, revealing that it will be a collective decision.