The unsung heroes putting in the grunt at the head of the scrum, there are no shortage of prop options available to Andy Farrell as he ponders his squad selection.
Those wearing numbers 1 and 3 will be an integral part of the side bidding to earn victory on Australian soil and the props on the plane are likely to include a mixture of returning and first-time tourists.
In the first of our position-by-position rundowns, here are the prop contenders…
PREVIOUS TOURISTS
Of those who were named in the squad to face South Africa in 2021, Andrew Porter, Tadhg Furlong and Zander Fagerson are firmly in contention to earn spots once more.
If selected, Porter will be looking to make up for lost time having withdrawn from the squad prior to the plane taking off four years ago following a toe injury.
The man who replaced him, Kyle Sinckler, has been in impressive form for Toulon in the Top 14 and his hat remains in the ring for what would be a third Tour, the England man also having been part of the squad in New Zealand in 2017.
He was joined both there and in South Africa by Furlong, who has started all three matches on each of the past two Lions Tours.
He remains one of the world’s best in his position when fully fit and firing and returned to the Test match fold in Round 5 of the Guinness Men’s Six Nations, playing 33 minutes off the bench in Ireland’s win over Italy.
Fagerson was an ever-present in Scotland’s front row during the competition and will be hoping for a Test debut in the famous red jersey if selected for a second consecutive Tour.
Four years ago, he played in warm-up matches against Sigma Lions, Cell C Sharks and South Africa A but did not appear in the Test series.
POTENTIAL FIRST-TIMERS
England’s scrum was vastly improved in the Six Nations and laid the foundations for their second-placed finish.
Key to that upturn in fortunes were Ellis Genge and Will Stuart, who will both hope to have done enough to catch Farrell’s eye with their performances.
The pair are in-form and vastly experienced on the international stage, with Stuart marking his 50th England cap in fitting fashion with a try against Wales on Super Saturday.
The 28-year-old is also chasing a treble with his club side Bath, who are bidding to add Gallagher Premiership and EPCR Challenge Cup titles to the Premiership Rugby Cup trophy they lifted earlier this season.
Genge, meanwhile, has previous experience of winning in Australia, having been a key part of the England side who triumphed Down Under in 2022.
Pierre Schoeman has made himself an integral part of Scotland’s front row in recent years and had a solid Six Nations campaign, while the scrummaging ability of Wales’ Nicky Smith means his name is also very much in the frame.
Ireland’s Finlay Bealham is also in contention. Bealham shone in Ireland’s wins over England and Scotland in the Six Nations and is an eccentric character - a big Metallica fan off the field, his braided hair makes him an unmissable figure on it.
