Robert Kitson

5 days ago | theguardian.com | Robert Kitson

Do you know what really stuck out as Maro Itoje sat chatting in the O2 Arena after the British & Irish Lions squad announcement? His biceps. This year’s Lions jersey is tight enough on the shoulders and sufficiently short on the arms to make their already well-muscled captain look like Popeye on steroids. Say what you like about the Lions squad but they have chosen a strong leader. It has worked for them in the past.

5 days ago | msn.com | Robert Kitson

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6 days ago | theguardian.com | Robert Kitson

At long last, significant smoke has also emerged from the British & Irish Lions’ chimney. Maro Itoje will be leading a 38-strong squad to Australia and a couple of the names on the list would raise any cardinal’s eyebrows. Henry Pollock and Marcus Smith will be heading down under with their head coach, Andy Farrell, clearly keen to make an immediate impact next month.

1 week ago | theguardian.com | Robert Kitson

How swiftly the sporting wheel can turn. Less than five years ago Exeter were the Double-winning darlings of English club rugby, their fairytale rise ranking alongside Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest, Sir Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen and Wimbledon’s Crazy Gang as the most romantic success stories in British team sport. And now? Second bottom of the Premiership table, 79 points conceded at Gloucester last time out, coaches being summarily jettisoned, the chairman storming into the dressing room.

1 week ago | theguardian.com | Ugo Monye |Robert Kitson |Andy Bull |Gerard Meagher |Michael Aylwin

Ugo MonyeBuild the team around The majority of my spine players come in the pack. In some areas the leading candidate is a cut above the rest and none more so than Dan Sheehan at hooker. He’s nailed on as first choice. I’d put Maro Itoje in that bracket too and, due to lack of alternatives, I would’ve had Caelan Doris before news of his shoulder injury emerged. Perhaps the most important player is the one back I’ve selected in this category, however.