Another dramatic Six Nations concluded with the spoils heading to France – but for the trophy-less home nations, another prize was at stake – British and Irish Lions selection…
With support from Opta, Sky Sports tracked the performances of every eligible Lions contender throughout the Six Nations – and now the results are in!
With Andy Farrell set to name his squad for this summer’s tour of Australia on May 8, find out who the stats say should be on the plane down under…
15. Blair Kinghorn (Scotland) – 14,595 points
Scotland’s full-back emerged head and shoulders above those vying for the Lions 15 shirt after a rankings-topping Six Nations.
No British and Irish Lions hopeful made more line breaks (9), offloads (13), carries (86) or gain-line metres (580m) than Kinghorn, who finished the tournament with more the twice the number of ranking points than closest full-back rival, Ireland’s Hugo Keenan.
14. Tommy Freeman (England) – 13,430 points
The joint-top try-scorer among British and Irish Lions contenders, Freeman became the first Englishman to score a try in every match of a Six Nations campaign.
The Northampton Saint was also among the top five for line breaks (8) and defenders beaten (15) after a campaign that will have done his Lions hopes a world of good.
13. Huw Jones (Scotland) – 9,030 points
The loss of Ollie Lawrence to a season-ending Achilles injury was a blow to the Lions, but in Huw Jones, they have a more than able deputy with his own unique skillset.
Jones’ four Six Nations tries was the second-highest among the British and Irish Lions hopefuls, while no centre made more gain-line metres (201m) than the Glasgow man.
12. Tom Jordan (Scotland) – 8,090 points
Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu is set to stake a claim to this position upon returning from injury, but in his absence, team-mate Tom Jordan seized his opportunity.
The Glasgow utility back ranked top for defenders beaten (14) and metres gained (197m) compared to his rivals at centre and ended the tournament with two tries, two try assists, and with his Lions bolter claims enhanced.
11. James Lowe (Ireland) – 9,725 points
An untimely back spasm may have derailed his hopes of topping the charts, and Ireland’s bid to defend their title with a Grand Slam, but James Lowe showed more than enough in the early rounds to remain the leading choice on the wing for the Lions.
Lowe’s four try assists and eight line breaks provided further evidence of his world-class ability to create something out of nothing.
Duhan van der Merwe finished higher in the rankings by virtue of his scoring two tries to Lowe’s one, making 44 more gain-line metres and beating 28 defenders – four times as many as Lowe.
But perhaps the most telling statistic was that Ireland were four from four with Lowe on the pitch and zero from one without him, as his reputation as a player for the biggest occasions was enhanced.
10. Fin Smith (England) – 5,440 points
Introduced in round two against France, Fin Smith has upstaged Scotland’s Finn Russell, Ireland duo Sam Prendergast and Jack Crowley, as well as team-mate Marcus Smith.
The Northampton 10 wasn’t even given an outside chance of Lions selection before the tournament started but, after guiding England to a second-place finish with a joint-top four try assists, he’s well and truly in the conversation.
9. Alex Mitchell (England) – 6,670 points
Filled his boots in England’s 10-try mauling of Wales as a try and two try assists saw him finish above Jamison Gibson-Park in the Lions Rankings.
Ireland’s scrum-half remains the leading contender to start the first Test against the Wallabies but Mitchell stands alone as the chief challenger for the No 9 shirt after finishing the Six Nations with a joint-highest four try assists.
Take a look at how the final day of the Six Nations played out!
1. Pierre Schoeman (Scotland) – 4,740 points
In the fiercely-contested three-way tussle at loosehead, Scotland’s Pierre Schoeman emerged with more points than Ellis Genge and Andrew Porter, despite losing three matches to England and Ireland’s one.
Schoeman’s superior ball-in-hand metrics – metres carried (65m), carries (51), line breaks (2) – were enough to beat his rivals by a nose but, make no mistake, this position is likely to be one of Farrell’s toughest calls.
2. Dan Sheehan (Ireland) – 12,920 points
Few positions had a more conclusive outcome than that of hooker, where Dan Sheehan virtually secured his place as starting, let alone touring, Lions hooker with a stellar Six Nations.
A hat-trick in the final around against Italy saw Sheehan finish with five tries for the tournament – the joint-most of any Lions hopeful, forward or back.
3. Will Stuart (England) – 5,860 points
Compared to the three-way tussle at loosehead, there is a lot more clarity at tighthead, with England’s Will Stuart out in front of Ireland’s Finlay Bealham and Zander Fagerson from Scotland.
His supreme scrummaging abilities were underscored by the conceding of just a single penalty through the tournament, while Stuart showcased his footwork and ability in broken play, scoring a try and beating more defenders (3) than his tighthead rivals.
4. Maro Itoje (England) – 7,395 points
The England captain’s prowess at the breakdown really shone during the Six Nations as he finished with more ruck hits (186) than any other Lions hopeful.
Itoje has already been on two Lions tours and started six Tests against New Zealand and South Africa, and the only question around his selection for this summer’s tour of Australia centres around whether it will be as captain.
5. Tadhg Beirne (Ireland)
Ireland’s Mr. Reliable. A man who, like Itoje, meets any occasion, any condition, any in-game scenario, with consistency and presence.
Among those vying for Lions selection in the second row, Tadhg Beirne made the most passes through the Six Nations (39), was second for completed tackles (59) and jackal turnovers (1), and in the top five for ruck hits (134), as his versatility was showcased.
6. Tom Curry (England)
The foundations of England’s progression through the Six Nations were built on the shoulders on their back row, where Tom Curry was at his influential best.
Among the flankers eligible for Lions selection, Curry ended the tournament top for jackal turnovers (5), joint-top for tries scored (2) and in the top five for gain-line metres (70m).
7. Ben Earl (England)
Deployed at flanker after England’s chastening opening round in Dublin, Ben Earl delivered consistent, high-scoring performances.
Among his fellow contenders for the Lions flanker shirt, he came top for gain-line metres (286m), top for carries (63), top for line breaks (3), second for jackal turnovers (5).
8. Jack Conan (Ireland) – 12,745 points
Caelan Doris, widely considered the frontrunner for Lions captaincy, produced an inconsistent campaign for Ireland and was duly outperformed by team-mate Jack Conan.
The No 8 started all three of the Lions’ Tests against South Africa in 2021 and boosted his chances of returning on the tour to Australia with a host of impactful performances, scoring three tries.
Final Lions Rankings
- 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.
