Who advanced their claim for British and Irish Lions selection? Sky Sports crunches the numbers from Round 3 of the Six Nations to find out…
While debate rumbles around some selection areas for Andy Farrell, others already look cast in stone.
James Lowe looks a nailed-on Test starter, but who will be stood on the other wing when the Lions walk out against the Wallabies in Brisbane on July 19? Well, Duhan van der Merwe is mounting as strong a case as any.
Van der Merwe showcased his unplayable qualities with a ruthless display of attacking force which very nearly – and arguably should have – steered Scotland to a record fifth successive Calcutta Cup.
The 29-year-old resumed his role as England’s chief tormentor, haunting Steve Borthwick’s men with his record seventh Calcutta Cup try after setting up Huw Jones’ in the first half.
Duhan van der Merwe produced a player-of-the-match performance against England at Allianz Stadium
No Lions contender recorded more offloads, or try or line break assists, than Van der Merwe in Round 3 of the Six Nations, while only team-mate Blair Kinghorn surpassed him for metres carried and metres gained.
Scotland would ultimately leave Allianz Stadium empty-handed but, on a bittersweet day, Van der Merwe left with his Lions credentials massively enhanced.
No player showcases the strength in depth at Ireland’s disposal more than Jack Conan.
The back-to-back Six Nations champions were without captain Caelan Doris for their Round 3 trip to Cardiff, but Conan once again proved to be a more-than-able deputy.
Jack Conan set Ireland on their way to victory with the opening try against Wales
His opening try ensured he ranked highest for Ireland as they kept their Grand Slam hopes alive with a Triple Crown-clinching 27-18 victory over Wales.
Unseating Doris, a leading contender for Lions captaincy, looks a tall order, but Conan’s impressive, impactful and consistent performances ought to secure his position as a touring Lion at the very least.
To those thinking a record 15th defeat in a row would end the hopes of any Welsh contingent making the Lions squad, think again!
Throughout one of the darkest periods in the history of Welsh rugby, Jac Morgan‘s performances and leadership have provided a glimmer of hope – a light that is leading a nation out of the darkness.
He spearheaded Saturday’s rousing performance against Ireland, and while it may have ended in defeat, Welsh rugby and its captain were winners.
Jac Morgan led from the front in Wales’ morale-boosting defeat to Ireland
Only Rory Darge (55) hit more rucks than the 47 hit against Ireland by Morgan, who was the second-highest ball-carrying forward (12) in Round 3 and finished in the top five for completed tackles (14).
Morgan also crossed for a try and showcased his ability to beat defenders with a line break against Ireland – another reminder he possesses the primary characteristic for a Lions player: the ability to perform under pressure.
Full-back Blair Kinghorn dazzled in attack against England
If missing Ireland’s victory over Wales through injury wasn’t bad enough, full-back Hugo Keenan had to watch on as his main rival for the Lions 15 shirt seized the opportunity in his absence.
Van der Merwe rightfully claimed the Player of the Match accolade at Twickenham, but he was backed up by an equally impressive performance from Blair Kinghorn.
No Lions hopeful made more line breaks (3) or carries (22), carried the ball further (183m), or made more gain-line metres (128m) than the Toulouse full-back, who did everything in his power and yet was still unable to prevent Scotland surrendering the Calcutta Cup.
Kinghorn’s exploits from full-back were matched by namesake Blair Murray of Wales, who beat the most defenders (11) in Round 3 of the Six Nations, ranked joint-top for try assists (1), joint-second for line breaks (2), and third for metres gained (78m) to secure his place among the five highest scorers.
Lions Rankings XV of the week
Forwards: 1 Ellis Genge (England), 2 Dan Sheehan (Ireland), 3 Will Stuart (England), 4 Joe McCarthy (Ireland), 5 Maro Itoje (England), 6 Jac Morgan (Wales), 7 Ben Earl (England), 8 Jack Conan (Ireland).
Backs: 9 Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland), 10 Fin Smith (England), 11 Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland), 12 Tom Jordan (Scotland), 13 Huw Jones (Scotland), 14 Tommy Freeman (England), 15 Blair Kinghorn (Scotland)
Lions Rankings Test XV based on stats
Forwards: 1 Andrew Porter (Ireland), 2 Dan Sheehan (Ireland), 3 Zander Fagerson (Scotland), 4 Ryan Baird (Ireland), 5 Tadhg Beirne (Ireland), 6 Jac Morgan (Wales), 7 Ben Earl (England), 8 Caelan Doris (Ireland)
Backs: 9 Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland), 10 Sam Prendergast (Ireland), 11 James Lowe (Ireland), 12 Bundee Aki (Ireland), 13 Huw Jones (Scotland), 14 Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland), 15 Blair Kinghorn (Scotland).
- All statistical claims relate to British and Irish Lions eligible players playing in the 2025 Six Nations for England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
British & Irish Lions tour of Australia on Sky Sports
Sky Sports will exclusively show the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, with all three Tests against the Wallabies and six warm-up matches to be shown exclusively live.
