Andy Farrell draws up initial 75-man squad list for Lions’ tour of Australia

Andy Farrell has revealed that an initial squad of 75 players has been drawn up by the British and Irish Lions for their summer tour of Australia.

Farrell’s assistant coaches for the visit Down Under have been confirmed, with England number two Richard Wigglesworth and Ireland’s recent interim boss Simon Easterby among the five names announced on Wednesday.

Scotland forwards coach John Dalziel has also been recruited, with Ireland’s John Fogarty and Andrew Goodman completing the management team.

One of the initial jobs undertaken by Farrell and his assistants when they gathered together in London for the first time on Tuesday was to begin pencilling in the names of players who were in contention for the tour following the Six Nations.

“We came up with about 75 men or something like that. Every single one of them deserves to be on that list,” Farrell said.

“There’s going to be a hell of a lot of good players who don’t make the plane and that’s exactly where we want to be. We want to be as competitive as we possibly can.

“Obviously, we’re going to be watching other games that are coming up.”

At this stage no set roles have been assigned to the five assistants, none of whom have previous Lions coaching experience.

“Putting together a Lions coaching team is an honour and a privilege – and the five phone calls made to this group of coaches reminds you just how special and unique it is,” Farrell said.

“This coaching group has versatility and are interchangeable in their skill set, which is a vital asset to have on a Lions tour.

“I think we have a fantastic mix and every one of these guys will bring their own character and personality to the team.”

Wigglesworth has overseen England’s attack since 2023 and has benefited from