Fran Cotton will today blow his whistle on British rugby's longest guessing game when he announces the 35-man Lions squad for the seven-week, three Test, tour of South Africa.
Manager Cotton, coach Ian McGeechan, and fellow selectors from all four home unions spent the Easter holiday finalising their elite group of players.
After the dust has settled, Cotton and company will then bid to emulate Willie John McBride's 1974 squad by winning a Test series in South Africa.
Little time can have been wasted on some selections, Ieuan Evans, Jeremy Guscott, Robert Howley, Jason Leonard, and Martin Johnson for starters, but there are intriguing question marks surrounding many other areas. None more so than full back, where Neil Jenkins' fitness affects the Test match back division.
Mike Catt, Gregor Townsend and the evergreen Jonathan Davies are battling for the No.10 berth, and all possess a wider span of match-winning options. Possible party:
T Stimpson (England), N Jenkins (Wales); I Evans (Wales), S Geoghegan (Ireland), J Bentley, N Beal (both England); S Gibbs, A Bateman (both Wales), J Guscott (England), W Greenwood (uncapped); M Catt (England), G Townsend (Scotland), J Davies (Wales); R Howley (Wales), A Healey (England), B Redpath (Scotland).
G Rowntree (England), N Popplewell (Ireland), J Leonard (England), D Young (Wales), P Clohessy (Ireland); M Regan (England), K Wood (Ireland), B Williams (Wales); M Johnson, S Shaw (both England), D Weir (Scotland), J Davidson (Ireland); L Dallaglio (England), R Wainwright (Scotland), E Miller (Ireland), S Quinnell (Wales), T Rodber (England), R Hill (England), C Charvis (Wales).
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