**Sam Warburton Highlights Standout British & Irish Lions after Australia Series**
Rugby luminary Sam Warburton has singled out four British & Irish Lions players who took his eye during the recent Test series in Australia, with the former Wales captain admitting one star in particular confounded his earlier doubts.
The Lions secured their first series win on Australian soil since 2013, clinching victory with a game to spare before falling in the final match in Sydney. With the tour now concluded, focus returns to the club season and November’s autumn internationals loom on the horizon. Amidst this transition, Warburton penned his reflections on the standout performers and challenges ahead for these elite athletes.
Using his column in The Times as his platform, Warburton emphasised the significance of rest and recovery after such a gruelling southern hemisphere campaign. Reflecting on his own comeback from the drawn 2017 series in New Zealand, he shared advice from then Cardiff Rugby coach Danny Wilson, who insisted on a four-week break before even contemplating a return to club action. Warburton suggests many Lions stars, now with enhanced reputations and market value, would do well to heed similar advice.
Among those whose profiles have risen most steeply is Northampton Saints flanker Henry Pollock. Warburton noted the young Englishman’s maturity under pressure and his readiness for international rugby. However, he urged caution so that Pollock does not become pigeonholed as simply an ‘impact sub’—a fate, he remarked, that befell compatriot Justin Tipuric during the early phases of his Welsh career. Warburton described the burden of versatility—while an asset, it can also restrict a player’s progress beyond the bench, he said. Nevertheless, he praised Pollock for returning home with “a huge amount of credibility.”
A player who notably defied Warburton’s pre-tour predictions was Ireland’s Tadhg Beirne. “He proved a lot of people wrong, myself included… I thought Ollie Chessum would get the nod, but Beirne delivered when it mattered most,” Warburton confessed. Head Coach Andy Farrell, he suggested, made the right call by trusting in Beirne’s experience in the back row, especially given the wealth of options across Britain and Ireland.
Ireland lock James Ryan also earned special mention after injecting much-needed aggression off the bench during the second Test. Warburton commended Ryan’s physicality and was pleased to see him promoted to the starting XV for the third match, adding “he didn’t surprise me by playing well, but I was delighted he got his chance to start.”
Ellis Genge, the England prop known for his confrontational style, emerged as another figure singled out by Warburton. “It’s obvious how much a Lions call-up meant to Genge, even though he’s maintained it wouldn’t define him,” he remarked. Despite Genge’s fiery demeanour, Warburton described him as the sort of teammate every player relishes having in the changing room—a sentiment Wolfburton summed up simply: “What a bloke.”
Reflecting on the tour’s selection decisions, Warburton expressed surprise at the omission of Ireland’s Josh van der Flier, but underscored the abundance of world-class back rowers at the coaches’ disposal. He offered high praise for Tom Curry, labelling him “world-class,” and called Wales’ Jac Morgan “excellent,” highlighting the extraordinary competition for places.
Looking back at the outcome, Warburton was candid about his apprehension ahead of the series, confessing he had feared a comprehensive 3-0 whitewash in the Lions’ favour. However, he welcomed Australia’s spirited response in the final Test, describing the contest as “brilliant” and a fitting reminder of the game’s unpredictability and drama.
Finally, Warburton reflected fondly on his own Lions experiences and extended his hopes that the 2025 squad would cherish this tour as much as he does his own memories. With anticipation already building for New Zealand in 2029, he concluded on an optimistic note for the future of Lions rugby.
As the dust settles on another storied chapter in Lions history, Warburton’s observations provide not just a roll-call of emerging talent, but also a reminder of the physical and psychological demands these athletes face—and the importance of support as they return to the domestic fray.