British & Irish Lions
• British & Irish Lions tour Australia in 2013
Ireland Rugby
Six Nations Squads (3/6)
The first few (Italy, Scotland and England) have been announced their squads, with Ireland due to announce theirs on Monday – theirs a few wide eyes at one or two selections as well.
England
Brian Ashton has included uncapped Tongan Lesley Vainikolo, who played League for New Zealand but qualifies for England on residency grounds, scoring nine out of nine in union.
Lewsey and Farrell are dropped, while Croft, Cipriani and Wigglesworth all gain the first caps under the captaincy of Vickery. Other notable absences from the World Cup are Barkley, Freshwater, Hipkiss and Simpson-Daniel.
The retired gang are all absent (obviously) Corry, Robinson, Catt, Dallaglio, while Strettle returns.
Backs: Iain Balshaw (Gloucester), Danny Cipriani (Wasps), Mark Cueto (Sale Sharks), Toby Flood (Newcastle), Andy Gomarsall (Harlequins), Charlie Hodgson (Sale Sharks), Jamie Noon (Newcastle), Peter Richards (London Irish), Paul Sackey (Wasps), David Strettle (Harlequins), Mathew Tait (Newcastle), Mike Tindall (Gloucester), Richard Wigglesworth (Sale Sharks), Jonny Wilkinson (Newcastle), Lesley Vainikolo (Gloucester).
Forwards: Steve Borthwick (Bath), Tom Croft (Leicester), George Chuter (Leicester), Louis Deacon (Leicester), Nick Easter (Harlequins), James Haskell (Wasps), Ben Kay (Leicester), Lee Mears (Bath), Lewis Moody (Leicester), Tim Payne (Wasps), Tom Rees (Wasps), Mark Regan (Bristol), Simon Shaw (Wasps), Andrew Sheridan (Sale Sharks), Matt Stevens (Bath), Phil Vickery (Wasps, capt), Joe Worsley (Wasps).
Italy
Nick Mallett (Berbizier’s replacement) has kept the faith with his squad with no major changes since the World Cup. Dallen and Patrizio are recalled, but Ongaro is surprisingly dropped. Reato also gets a first call-up.
Troncon, de Marigny, Griffen and Stanojevic are also missing.
Forwards: Robert Barbieri (Benetton Treviso), Mauro Bergamasco (Stade Français), Marco Bortolami (Gloucester), Martin Castrogiovanni (Leicester Tigers), Carlo Antonio Del Fava (Ulster), Santiago Dellapè (Biarritz), Carlo Festuccia (Racing Métro Paris), Leonardo Ghiraldini (Cammi Calvisano), Andrea Lo Cicero (Racing Métro Paris), Carlos Nieto (Gloucester), Sergio Parisse (Stade Français), Antonio Pavanello (Benetton Treviso), Salvatore Perugini (Toulouse), Tommaso Reato (Femi CZ Rovigo), Josh Sole (Montepaschi Viadana), Alessandro Zanni (Cammi Calvisano).
Backs: Mirco Bergamasco (Stade Français), David Bortolussi (Montpellier), Gonzalo Canale (Clermont-Auvergne), Pablo Canavosio (Castres), Denis Dallan (Overmach Cariparma), Ezio Galon (Overmach Cariparma), Andrea Marcato (Benetton Treviso), Andrea Masi (Biarritz), Ludovico Nitoglia (Cammi Calvisano), Enrico Patrizio (Carrera Petrarca Padova), Ramiro Pez (Casinò di Venezia), Simon Picone (Benetton Treviso), Matteo Pratichetti (Cammi Calvisano), Kaine Paul Robertson (Montepaschi Viadana), Alberto Sgarbi (Benetton Treviso), Pietro Travagli (Overmach Cariparma).
Scotland
Scott Murray (the record cap holder) loses his place along with Di Rollo, Smith and Lawson. Six new caps appear Rennie, MacRae, Cairns, De Luca, Evans and Low. Jason White remains captain.
Backs: Mike Blair, Ben Cairns (both Edinburgh), Chris Cusiter (Perpignan), Simon Danielli (Ulster), Nick De Luca (Edinburgh), Thom Evans (Glasgow Warriors), Phil Godman (Edinburgh), Rory Lamont (Sale Sharks), Rory Lawson (Gloucester), Calum MacRae (Edinburgh), Graeme Morrison, Dan Parks (both Glasgow Warriors), Chris Paterson (Gloucester), Hugo Southwell (Edinburgh), Nikki Walker (The Ospreys), Simon Webster (Edinburgh).
Forwards: John Barclay, Johnnie Beattie, Kelly Brown (all Glasgow Warriors), Dave Callam (Edinburgh), Alasdair Dickinson (Gloucester), Ross Ford (Edinburgh), Jim Hamilton (Leicester Tigers), Nathan Hines (Perpignan), Allister Hogg, Allan Jacobsen (both Edinburgh), Alastair Kellock (Glasgow Warriors), Gavin Kerr (Edinburgh), Moray Low (Glasgow Warriors), Scott MacLeod (Llanelli Scarlets), Euan Murray (Northampton Saints), Ross Rennie (Edinburgh), Alasdair Strokosch (Gloucester), Fergus Thomson (Glasgow Warriors), Jason White (Sale Sharks) (c).