LIONS boss Warren Gatland and his coaching staff will sit down today to put the final pieces together for the 2017 squad to tour New Zealand.
Some big names will miss out once again – and expect wild-card bolters like Kyle Sinckler to feature for the most daunting trip the tourists have faced in years.
Here Jonny Fordham, SunSport’s Rugby Correspondent, picks his 37-man Lions party for this summer’s trip to the Southern Hemisphere.
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BACK THREE
Stuart Hogg, Leigh Halfpenny, Liam Williams, Anthony Watson, George North, Simon Zebo, Sean Maitland.
George North hit form for Wales at just there right time and along with Scotland’s Stuart Hogg, they have to start against the All Blacks. Rob Kearney and Mike Brown just miss out as the likes of Liam Williams and Anthony Watson cover both wing and full-back.
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CENTRE
Owen Farrell, Elliot Daly, Jonathan Joseph, Jamie Roberts, Robbie Henshaw.
Farrell will cover 12 and 10 – but I would start him at centre with Johnny Sexton pulling the strings inside him. Jamie Roberts has bombed since joining Harlequins, but the Wales brute is a Test match animal and a flat-track bully to truck it up the middle.
FLY-HALF
Johnny Sexton, Dan Biggar.
These two get the nod because of their experience and size. George Ford and Finn Russell miss. Ford is an excellent play-maker, but his place-kicking is too poor for a tour of this magnitude to be relied on.
SCRUM-HALF
Rhys Webb, Conor Murray, Ben Youngs.
Webb just gets the nod over Conor Murray in my Test side – but for Gatland – with Johnny Sexton leading the race for the no.10 shirt the Irish half-back pair could be kept together. Ben Young tailed off in the Six Nations for England, though the Leicester Tigers man has that big-game nous.
BACK ROW
Billy Vunipola, Toby Faletau, Sam Warburton, Maro Itoje, Peter O’Mahony, Sean O’Brien, Chris Robshaw
Robshaw’s name might be a surprise one - he's not there for the Test side though. The former England skipper would be an excellent mid-week general and if he was needed to face the AB's then you know he would give his all.
The rest generally pick themselves and don't rule out a back-row with Billy Vunipola and Toby Faletau both featuring.
SECOND ROW
Alun Wyn Jones, George Kruis, Courtney Lawes, Joe Launchbury.
Maro Itoje also drops into this category - and Courtney Lawes can also play as an open side flanker. Alun Wyn Jones and George Kruis could be a devastating pair in the engine room.
TIGHTHEAD PROP
Tadhg Furlong, Dan Cole, Kyle Sinckler.
Sinckler would be superb off the bench - explosive and powerful to hurt the All Blacks when they are tiring.
Tadhg Furlong has been immense this season and although Dan Cole can be a walking penalty machine - he should tour to nurture these two rookies.
HOOKERS
Dylan Hartley, Jamie George, Rory Best.
Hartley doesn't get in many Lions XVs chosen, but he deserves a crack. Anyone who has brought together a shambolic England side like he has could also work miracles in whipping together a Lions party in such short time.
Jamie George has the x-factor that Gatland should turn to.
LOOSEHEAD PROP
Mako Vunipola, Joe Marler, Jack McGrath.
Vunipola was sensational in Australia for England last summer and has backed it up this year for club and country.
Jack McGrath is rock solid and Joe Marler gets the nod after falling back in love with the game and finding his mojo again.
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