Captaincy, fly-halves and back rows - Three Lions debates to chew on

LIONS DEBATES:Captaincy, fly-halves and back rows - Three Lions debates to chew on following the announcement of the squad. Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile

THE CAPTAINCY 

If it was not going to be Caelan Doris, it had to be Maro Itoje, and the Leinster and Ireland captain’s season-ending shoulder injury has allowed his England counterpart to become a groundbreaking first black skipper of the British & Irish Lions.

That should not be underestimated in a sport that, in this part of the world, tends to recruit non-white players from overseas rather than from their own doorsteps. That aside, and with commiserations to the stricken Doris, Itoje looks like the ideal candidate. He is an established Lions with two tours under his belt - and a chant all of his own from the travelling supporters to the tune of ‘Seven Nation Army’ - who has not let his elevation to both the Saracens and England captaincies this season hinder his performance levels.

Professional sports captaincy comes with increased loads on both physical and mental resilience and Itoje appears to be in the perfect shape and form to lead the Lions with distinction.

THE FLY-HALVES 

There will be plenty of time for Sam Prendergast to find his way onto a Lion tour in the future (and Jack Crowley also) yet the Ireland number 10 appears to have lost out to the versatility of Marcus Smith’s ability to play at fly-half and 15.

Finn Russell of Scotland and England’s Fin Smith appear set to battle it out for the Test start in the series opener against the Wallabies in Brisbane on July 19. Russell had a poor Six Nations but is spearheading Bath’s push for the English title while Fin Smith’s confidence in his first season as a Test 10 shone through for Northampton Saints in their epic victory over Leinster last Saturday, particularly on a difficult afternoon for Prendergast.

As for Marcus Smith, the Harlequins star’s effectiveness under the high ball at full-back was questioned during the Six Nations but Andy Farrell will be hoping the X-factor he brings will come to the fore on tour.

Time has run out, at least for now, for Owen Farrell, however. The head coach said his son and three-time Lions Test starter just didn’t get himself right in time with Racing 92 to be considered but as with all of Thursday’s selections, there is enough left in the season for injuries to force rethinks.

THE BACK ROW 

If Owen Farrell could play his way into contention as a potential injury call-up on the clock in the Top 14 for Racing 92, and Andy Farrell is prepared to wait for Blair Kinghorn to complete is duties in France with Toulouse, why was barnstorming back-rower Jack Willis, also of Stade Toulousain, overlooked?

Perhaps the prospect of missing the first two or three tour games in Australia is less critical as one of only two specialist full-backs, with Kinghorn named alongside Hugo Keenan and an able deputy in Elliot Daly also selected to travel this summer. Perhaps it says much about the strength of back-row power Andy Farrell has at his disposal that there is enough talent for the whole tour at his fingertips to tour without Willis. He is not the only notable absentee from a Lions back-row unit than numbers Ireland’s Jack Conan and Josh van der Flier, Wales’s lone forward Jac Morgan and Willis’s former England team-mates Tom Curry, Ben Earl and the irrepressible 20-year-old Henry Pollock.

Ben Curry, Taulupe Faletau and Rory Darge may be also feeling sorry for themselves right now but do any of those selected for Lions duty deserve to have been usurped by their rivals?