There is a distinctly emerald tinge to the British & Irish Lions team sheet for this weekend’s opening tour fixture in Australia. More than half the starting XV, three of the bench reserves, the newly minted captain, Dan Sheehan, and the head coach, Andy Farrell, reside in Ireland but perhaps the latter’s most striking selection is the squad’s uncut English diamond at No 8.
Henry Pollock is only 20 but the young back-row has been handed the glittering prize of a lifetime against Western Force on Saturday. Go well and Farrell may well include him in his Test match plans next month. Should the Northampton forward endure a problematic night, conversely, it may precipitate an abrupt managerial U-turn.
