British & Irish Lions

A publican from Dublin, Sean Lynch had played international rugby for less than a year when he was picked for the historic 1971 tour of New Zealand. Not originally down to start, injuries to fellow front-rowers Sandy Carmichael and Ray McLoughlin opened the door, and Lynch took his chance — starting all four Tests and 15 of the tour’s matches as the Lions won their first, and still only, series victory over the All Blacks. He went on to win 17 caps for Ireland and two Five Nations titles, sharing the title in 1973 and winning outright in 1974.

Playing record: 15 starts

Scrum-half Johnny Moloney was part of the legendary unbeaten 1974 ‘Invincibles’ tour of South Africa, though a Test cap eluded him. He started eight tour matches, scoring tries against Western Transvaal, South Western Districts and Griqualand West. An Irish international from his 1972 debut against France to his final cap against Wales in 1980, Moloney won 27 caps and scored four tries for his country.

Playing record: 8 starts (12 points – 3 tries)

Tom Grace holds the remarkable distinction of scoring more tries than games played for the Lions — 13 scores in 11 appearances on the 1974 ‘Invincibles’ tour of South Africa. Having caught selectors’ attention with the only Irish try in a 10-10 draw with New Zealand in 1973, Grace was picked for Willie John McBride’s squad and delivered, including seven tries across two matches against Griqualand West and an African XV, plus a brace against Eastern Transvaal. Capped 25 times by Ireland and captain on eight occasions, Grace built a notable off-field career with PricewaterhouseCoopers and has served as Chairman of the Lions Board since 2014, succeeding Gerald Davies.

Playing record: 11 starts (52 points – 13 tries)

Dubliner Tony Ward made a record-breaking Ireland debut in 1978, kicking two penalties and a conversion in a win over Scotland en route to a 38-point Five Nations haul — still a record for a debutant. A European Player of the Year award in 1979 earned him a place on the 1980 Lions tour of South Africa. In his sole Test appearance, Ward contributed 18 of the Lions’ 22 points with a drop goal and five penalties, but the Springboks’ five tries proved decisive in a 26-22 defeat; he was replaced by Gareth Davies, and later Ollie Campbell, for the rest of the series. Capped 19 times for Ireland between 1978 and 1987, Ward was also part of the Munster side that famously beat New Zealand in 1978, and even turned out for Limerick United against Southampton in the UEFA Cup in 1981.

Playing record: 5 starts (48 points – 1 try, 4 conv, 1 drop goal & 11 pens)

Full-back Rodney O’Donnell played his only Lions Test in the opening match of the 1980 series in South Africa, a narrow four-point defeat. He’d played three tour matches beforehand, scoring his only Lions points with a drop goal against an SAR Federation XV. Injury replacement Andy Irvine took his place for the second Test, and a further injury sustained tackling Danie Gerber brought O’Donnell’s career to a premature end at just 23 — before he could add to the five caps he’d won for Ireland since his debut against Australia in Brisbane the previous year.

Playing record: 6 starts (3 points – 1 drop goal)

Hooker Ciaran Fitzgerald captained the Lions on their 1983 tour of New Zealand, starting all four Tests against the All Blacks in 11 appearances overall. Born in Loughrea, Galway, and a talented boxer and hurler before settling on rugby, Fitzgerald represented UCG and St Mary’s College in Dublin. His leadership of Ireland — a Triple Crown in 1982 followed by outright Five Nations success in 1983 — persuaded Lions management Willie John McBride and Jim Telfer to hand him the tour captaincy. The Lions were ultimately swept 4-0 by the All Blacks, but Fitzgerald went on to captain Ireland to a second Triple Crown in 1985 before winning his final cap against Scotland a year later. He later served as Ireland head coach from 1990 to 1992, guiding the side to the quarter-finals of the 1991 World Cup.

Playing record: 11 starts

Fly-half Paul Dean earned his solitary taste of Lions action on the victorious 1989 tour of Australia, which the Lions won 2-1. Playing his club rugby for St Mary’s College at the time, Dean started at out-half in the tour opener, a 44-0 win over Western Australia, but injured his knee just 27 minutes in — England’s Rob Andrew was called up as a replacement within days. Also capable at centre, Dean made his Ireland debut against South Africa in 1981 and went on to score four tries and a drop goal across an eight-year international career.

Playing record: 1 start

Centre Vinnie Cunningham toured New Zealand with the Lions in 1993, playing three tour matches against Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay and Waikato — with a two-try performance against Taranaki his standout moment in the red jersey. A St Mary’s College clubman, Cunningham won 16 caps for Ireland between 1988 and 1994, scoring three international tries, and represented his country at the 1991 World Cup and the 1993 and 1994 Five Nations.

Playing record: 2 starts (10 points – 2 tries)

Leinster second-row Malcolm O’Kelly toured Australia with the Lions in 2001, playing largely outside the Test side but pushing hard for a place. He was named in the squad again for the 2005 tour of New Zealand, and was in contention for a Test spot against the All Blacks, only to aggravate a groin injury in training and be replaced by Simon Shaw. O’Kelly went on to become Ireland’s most-capped player, with 73 international caps built on his club and provincial rugby with St Mary’s College and Leinster.

Playing record: 3 starts & 2 sub (5 points – 1 try)

Winger Denis Hickie earned Lions selection for the 2005 tour of New Zealand on the back of a strong Six Nations campaign. A two-time Triple Crown winner with Ireland, Hickie played a prominent role in nearly all of the tour’s successful midweek fixtures, featuring in wins over Taranaki, Otago, Southland and Auckland, though — as one of 12 Irish players in a 44-man squad — he couldn’t force his way into the Test side against the All Blacks. A former Leinster winger, Hickie won 62 caps for Ireland and held the national try-scoring record with 29 tries until Brian O’Driscoll surpassed it in 2008.

Playing record: 5 starts

Jonathan Sexton was a mainstay of the Lions’ 2013 series win in Australia and returned four years later to play a pivotal role in New Zealand. In 2017 he came off the bench in the first Test against the All Blacks before starting the second, a historic 24-21 win in Wellington that levelled the series — the Lions’ first victory over the All Blacks in 24 years, with Sexton instrumental in second-half tries from Taulupe Faletau and Conor Murray. He started the drawn third Test at Eden Park too, forming a settled half-back partnership with fellow Irishman Conor Murray and combining well with England’s Owen Farrell in a 10-12 axis. His first Lions tour, in 2013, had begun with a debut against the Barbarians in Hong Kong before he started all three Tests as Warren Gatland’s side won the series 2-1, playing every minute of the first two Tests and scoring a crucial try in the record 41-16 series-clinching win in the third.

Playing record: Australia 2013: 5 starts & 2 sub (19 points – 3 tries, 2 conv)  |  New Zealand 2017: 4 starts & 2 sub (3 points – 1 pen)

Leinster and Ireland loose-head Jack McGrath made his first Lions tour in 2017 and had a hand in all three Tests against the All Blacks, providing defensive impact off the bench in each — including a Test-high six tackles from the bench in the series decider. He also played his part at the scrum, winning two key penalties late in the third Test in Auckland to set up Owen Farrell’s series-levelling kick. McGrath started just one match on tour, against the Blues, producing a strong scrummaging display that twice won penalties against All Blacks tighthead Charlie Faumuina, and featured off the bench in six further games against the likes of the Crusaders, Highlanders and Maori All Blacks. In total he played 186 minutes on tour, making 35 tackles and 12 carries across seven appearances.

Playing record: 1 start & 6 sub