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10th February 2025
12:48pm GMT
After just two weeks of Six Nations action, the uncertain haze around Lions selection has begun to recede.
The first game of the tour is now just over four months away when the team take on Argentina at the Aviva Stadium on June 20.
The squad will of course be named weeks before then, and time is of the essence for players hoping to stake a claim.
Thankfully for Ireland, there are eight players who look certain to be on the plane to Australia, with at least four looking locked in for a place in the test team, barring a disaster.
With his scrummaging now a force rather than a hindrance, he has a claim to be the best in the world at loosehead.
He unfortunately got injured after being named in the squad for the 2021 tour but looks nailed on to start this time around.
After blitzing England on his return to the Ireland team in the first round, the 26-year-old had a stinker of a half after being brought on against Scotland yesterday.
Nonetheless, he will for sure make the squad, although he may not start given his potential impact off the bench.
This modern great has struggled for fitness in recent years and has not been in tip-top form either.
As such, Scotland's Zander Fagerson is probably the favourite to start at this moment in time, but if the New Ross man is fit, he will tour.
Ireland's best player over the last three years, and does not seem to be letting up.
A likely Lions lock partnership with Maro Itoje is already having fans salivating.
Not only will he start at the base of the scrum, but all signs suggest that he will do so as captain.
The type of player who gives his teammates belief just by being there.
Any doubts over his form, which may have crept in last November, have firmly been cast aside.
Won player of the match last week and should have made it two in a row yesterday.
Head and shoulders above any of the other 9s in contention.
You could copy and paste Gibson-Park's paragraph for Lowe.
Silenced doubters, and should have won the Player of the Match last week over his fellow New Zealander.
Has so many strings to his bow, with his playmaking, hand-off, offloading, and giant boot.
Not a guaranteed starter given the fickleness of wing form, but not far off.
With Marcus Smith, Blair Kinghorn, and Freddie Steward all in top form, there is sturdy competition at fullback.
But with Keenan's knack of showing up in the big ones, he won't be worrying about his place in the squad.
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