Glamour boy Gavin deserves Lions' share
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Your support makes all the difference.Ireland and Wales have dominated the Six Nations and their players can expect to do the same in Ian McGeechan's British & Irish Lions squad to be named on 21 April. Here is our first-choice XV:
15 Lee Byrne (Wales): Solid under the high ball, big, quick and brave. Delon Armitage could cover full-back, wing and centre.
14 Mark Cueto (England): Good guy with yeoman qualities, suits a quickfire tour. Can play on either wing.
13 Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland): The most gifted player in these Isles. Trust him to unpick the Boks – just once or twice may be enough.
12 Gavin Henson (Wales): Problem position, but this team needs speed and a back-up goal-kicker. Glamour boy Gav ticks the boxes.
11 Shane Williams (Wales): Not on top form, but impossible to overlook the northern hemisphere's record try-scorer after Rory Underwood.
10 Ronan O'Gara (Ireland): Unless Jonny Wilkinson works a miracle or Danny Cipriani bucks his ideas up, O'Gara or Wales's Stephen Jones must get the job.
9 Mike Phillips (Wales): Scotland's Mike Blair is tipped by some as tour captain but the Lions need a scrum-half with both pace and muscle.
1 Gethin Jenkins (Wales): This is about balance. Early stints on scrum machine will decide if England's Andrew Sheridan gets the nod.
2 Jerry Flannery (Ireland): For his link with Paul O'Connell and his wind-up value, the bar owner from Limerick edges out other contenders.
3 Euan Murray (Scotland): Began to press his claims last autumn. Was then injured but could be spot-on in June.
4 Paul O'Connell (Ireland): A high-calibre weapon if the Lions attack Victor Matfield in the line-out.
5 Alun-Wyn Jones (Wales): All-court forward who could interchange with the similarly talented Tom Croft.
6 Ryan Jones (Wales): Had his eyes on the prize all season and once he gets in the party he'll prove his worth.
7 David Wallace (Ireland): A tough call but an in-form "Wally" has the wherewithal to edge out Martyn Williams, Tom Rees et al.
8 Jamie Heaslip (Ireland): Raging bull with a brain to match the brawn. Joe Worsley should go with him as a defensive mentor.
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