With round two of the 2025 Guinness Six Nations in the books, the battle for British and Irish Lions selection is heating up. Several standout performances across the four nations have strengthened the case for potential tourists, with dominant displays in the pack, sharp game management at half-back, and electrifying moments in the backline.
This week’s team selection highlights the players who set the standard in a weekend where each position had several viable options to pick from.
From some tireless showings by the forwards imposing to electrifying backs carving open defences, here is RugbyDump’s British and Irish Lions team of round two from the 2025 Guinness Six Nations:
1. Andrew Porter – Ireland
Head and shoulders ahead of any competitor once again in round two, the Irish loosehead motors on like a flashy John Deere tractor. Bulldozing through the Scottish pack at scrum time in addition to wreaking havoc at their breakdown, he was insatiable in round two.
2. Jamie George – England
A case can, without a doubt, be made for Dan Sheehan here in a week which saw the replacements steal the show, but we are going with the former England skipper. Finding himself in the new position of finishing a match, it cannot be understated how impactful he was for his side when the pressure ratcheted up. Similar to Peter O’Mahony for Ireland, the 34-year-old provides a dogged edge to his pack built on years of experience. Certainly, Theo Dan and Luke Cowan-Dickie provide more oomph, but George remains a key cog for Steve Borthwick’s side.
3. Finlay Bealham – Ireland
To Zander Fagerson’s credit, he had a very strong outing in a Scottish pack that was well beaten on the day. Part of the crew that handed the Scottish pack that beating? The Connacht tighthead was a ring leader for the Irish pack causing Rory Sutherland all sorts of troubles at scrum time.
4. James Ryan – Ireland
Flip a coin between Ryan and Itoje for the number four shirt, but Ireland’s often undervalued enforcer took no s*** in Edinburgh. Starting with Dave Cherry trying to ‘rough up’ Sam Prendergast early, Ryan left the Scottish hooker in doubt as to who sits atop the food chain in this rivalry as he blasted him into next week. Whilst these splash moments stand out, it is Ryan’s work rate, in particular around the breakdown, that makes him so important for Ireland.
5. Tadhg Beirne – Ireland
Benefitting from his lock partner’s heavy lifting, the more agile of the Irish locks was once again magnificent at Murrayfield. Making 13 tackles, winning a crucial turnover, nabbing 4 line-outs and making a few nice carries, Beirne was once again top of the pops when it comes to Lions’ number fives.
6. Tom Curry – England
Sometimes, the stats don’t tell the full tale of a player’s performance, and this is certainly the case for the starting Curry in the England pack. Closing his account with 8 carries, 14 tackles, and 2 turnovers feels par for the course when it comes to the Sale Sharks standout. Yet, it is the impact and timing of his interactions that often swing momentum in fixtures. Simply ripping into the big French pack, Curry had impact moment after impact moment as Steve Borthwick’s side claimed a win that has the potential to kickstart their season. Side note: Peter O’Mahony was ridiculously good… Again…
7. Ben Earl – England
Looking far more at home back in the number seven shirt, the Saracens loosey was a DAWG against Les Bleus. Say what you will about his knee slide and fist bump celebrations, Earl is an energy provider for England through his actions. Chopping through the lumbersome French with 12 carries for 63 meters and 14 tackles, Earl was at his free-roaming best. For us, Tom Willis needs to take credit for doing the hard yards as an out-and-out bruiser in the tight exchanges.
8. Caelan Doris – Ireland (Captain)
Tom Willis was good, very good, in fact. But as the kids say, there are levels to this game, and at the moment, there is the Doris level of number eight play and everybody else. Staring down a highly rated Scottish backrow, the Irish skipper pinballed through them almost at will. Shifting through multiple defenders for his try, Doris was at the heart of everything his side did well, most notably in kick return, where he made impact carries time and again.
9. Tomos Williams – Wales
Welsh Rugby’s lone bright spark (amongst the starters at least – Dan Edwards has something about him). Gloucester’s nine continues to put in strong performances behind a pack that, to be frank, is not up to scratch. Setting up Josh Adams for two potential tries and generally putting Wales in strong positions, he will be a key chess piece for Welsh Rugby over the next couple of years if changes do happen.
10. Fin Smith – England
“Cometh the hour, cometh the man”, The Worcester-bred, Northampton polished product’s first start felt like a catalyst for change for England. Orchestrating a vastly improved showing on both sides of the ball, the Saints’ star is a true field general in every sense of the word. Showing the guts to find Tommy Freeman with a perfect little dink crossfield shows the level of confidence he is playing with. A few hundred miles North, another young flyhalf shot the lights out as Sam Prendergast took another step forward in the Irish set-up.
11. James Lowe – Ireland
Cementing himself as the best ‘physical’ winger in the British and Irish Isles, Lowe once again took the match by the scruff of the neck for Ireland. What he lacks in out-and-out pace, he makes up for in raw power and creativity. Making three-line breaks and beating two defenders on just nine carries is a fairly efficient way to go about one’s business.
12. Bundee Aki – Ireland
Confrontational, gnarly and any other superlative one can think of! The Ireland veteran punched holes in the Scottish defence at will on Sunday. If we lived in a world of ifs and buts, we would’ve seen arguably a straight shootout for the Lions 12 shirt between himself and Sione Tuipulotu. Unfortunately, we don’t live in that world, and Aki was far and away the best inside centre across the four nations in round two. Side note, Robbie Henshaw looked a heck of a lot better when he shifted to 12 later in the match.
13. Ollie Lawrence – England
Whilst Huw Jones and Garry Ringrose garnered the headlines (rightly so) in round one, Lawrence came back swinging in round two. His hand-off of Thomas Ramos was almost comical to the point that the feisty Toulouse fullback looked like a little brother being used as a WWE prop. Given the undeniable void left by Manu Tuilagi, England really need to stick with Lawrence + one in the midfield, as he feels like a potential global star over the coming seasons.
14. Tommy Freeman – England
Getting up into the dark and stormy London sky, the Saints’ flyer had the Twickenham crowd out of their seats when he pulled in clubmate Fin Smith’s little kick. It wasn’t just this moment that stands out, but nearly every involvement he had with the ball in hand made key yardage. Whilst round one showed he has a way to go in terms of getting to James Lowe’s level, time is firmly on the side of the electric 23-year-old.
15. Hugo Keenan – Ireland
Silencing his doubters, Ireland’s Rolls Royce of a fullback proved once again why he might just be the best number 15 in the world. Instigating Jamison Gibson-Park’s pinpoint doink over the Scottish defence, which he then gathered over the top of Blair Kinghorn to set up an Irish score, exuded the confidence in which he plays. Underrated as an athlete, Keenan is lightning-quick but, more importantly, is uber-intelligent and deliberate in everything he does. It is a real statement to say that fans can count on one hand the amount of times he has been found wanting in key situations throughout his career.
Replacements:
16. Dan Sheehan, 17. Fin Baxter, 18. Joe Heyes, 19. Maro Itoje, 20. Tom Willis, 21. Jamison Gibson-Park, 22. Sam Prendergast, 23. Blair Kinghorn
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