With Andy Farrell set to pick his 37-man British and Irish Lions squad on Thursday, there are plenty of players with an outside chance of making the squad.

Whether it’s those who are battling late injury issues, or have experienced an upturn in form in recent months, Farrell mentioned last week that his coaching staff were considering “around 76 or 77” names for this summer’s tour of Australia.

So, who were initially on the fringes of that group that may now be rearranging summer plans around a trip Down Under? Let’s assess some of the outside bets to make Thursday’s squad.

Henry Pollock

The back row is always the most competitive position and, with four international opensides all fit and in form, you may be wondering why Pollock is being considered.

Well, the 20-year-old Northampton Saint has had a breakthrough season for the ages, standing out at club level and making waves in the international arena.

Pollock is a brash young forward who loves the flashy side of the game. His turnover and penalty count are both high, as is his try-scoring record. Seven scores in seven Champions Cup matches, including a phenomenal individual effort in the semi-final win over Leinster has made him a bit of a human highlight reel.

With the English media full behind the #PollockMustPlay campaign, he has all the backing to be a late contender for the Lions tour. The problem he has is picking who to drop from the squad. It is already likely that two of Jac Morgan, Tom and Ben Curry, Rory Darge, and Josh van der Flier won’t be on the plane, so Pollock has a mountain to climb.

Jamie Osborne

With Farrell likely to pick five centres in his squad, the versatile Osborne is in the mix for a call-up. Able to play in either centre role as well as all across the back three, Osborne offers the flexibility that you need on a long and tiring tour.

With Bundee Aki, Garry Ringrose, and Huw Jones all pretty likely to go, Osborne may nudge himself ahead of the likes of Robbie Henshaw, Max Llewellyn, and Henry Slade in the pecking order. Throw in Sione Tuipulotu’s injury troubles, and Osborne has a great chance to don the Lions jersey this summer.

Fraser Dingwall

Another Northampton player to make this list, captain Dingwall has shot himself into the reckoning with his performances in 2025.

Solid if unspectacular when called up by England for their last two matches of the Six Nations, Dingwall is an excellent organising centre and is 80 minutes away from captaining his club to Champions Cup glory.

If Tuipulotu does not make the squad, then the Lions could do a lot worse than Dingwall.

Blair Murray

It was only last year that Murray was playing representative rugby for Canterbury in New Zealand. Fast forward 18 months and the speedster could be the perfect back three players for the Lions.

A winger for club side Scarlets, Murray shone at fullback for Wales in the Six Nations, emerging as their best player in a dismal overall tournament.

Like many on this list, his versatility – capable of also filling in a flyhalf in a tour match if necessary – will be key to him making the plane ahead of other more established options.

Jack Willis

Another Englishman on the outside of the squad, Willis’ move to Toulouse in 2022 has seen him reach his high potential – albeit rarely in an England shirt.

A jackal threat and excellent carrier, on his day Willis is the best flanker in Europe. His lack of recent international experience, competition in his position, and lack of availability due to the Top14’s late finish will count against him, however.

Farrell could do a lot worse than Willis, though, and for that he has a chance.

Taulupe Faletau

Our co-founder Alex Cuthbert didn’t just pick Faletau in his squad, he put the Cardiff and Wales legend in the number eight shirt ahead of Caelan Doris – a favourite to be tour captain.

His reasoning is simple: Faletau is the greatest Welsh player of his generation and would be an enormous asset to the Lions squad. Simple, right? Well, with Doris and Ben Earl most likely ahead of him in the pecking order, Faletau may not quite make a fourth tour.

This weekend’s news that Doris will be undergoing shoulder surgery is a massive boost for his potential selection chances.

Tom Jordan

Another one for club versatility, Jordan can play equally well at flyhalf, inside centre, and fullback. Having had an excellent autumn for Scotland, the New Zealand-born back was tested in the Six Nations and, in general, passed with high marks.

Whether Farrell goes for other options remains to be seen, but Jordan is a quality footballer and is playing in a winning club side at Glasgow Warriors.

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