Nine Irish players set to roar for the Lions this summer

Wales back row forward Sam Warburton has been nominated as leader of the pride and will captain the British and Irish Lions this summer on their tour of Australia. The past two touring captains, Munster's Paul O'Connell and Leinster's Brian O'Driscoll, have retained their spots in the touring party - with O'Driscoll joining up with the squad for a remarkable fourth time since making his Lions test debut in 2001 in Australia.

Overall there are nine Irish players selected for the tour with six coming from Leinster, two from Munster and Ulster having a lone representative. Ulster's Rory Best, Munster's Simon Zebo and Leinster's Ian Madigan will be disappointed to have not made Warren Gatland's initial squad but they will surely be in the injury reserve list and shouldn't book any summer holidays just yet.

Outside of the Irish camp the captains of England and Scotland, Chris Robshaw and Kelly Brown, also failed to make the squad due to an embarrassment of riches that the Lions have in the back row forward position. Ireland's Jamie Heaslip and Sean O'Brien are among the selections there, incidentally.

All eyes will be on Warren Gatland's touring party when they kick off what will be a fiercely contested month of rugby at the start of June. Our money's on Brian O'Driscoll performing yet more heroics and playing a huge part in the first Lions series victory since 2001. Make it so, BOD!

The full squad for the 2013 British and Irish Lions tour of Australia is:

Backs

Leigh Halfpenny - Wales
Stuart Hogg - Scotland
Rob Kearney - Ireland
Tommy Bowe - Ireland
Alex Cuthbert - Wales
Sean Maitland - Scotland
George North - Wales
Jonathan Davies - Wales
Brian O'Driscoll - Ireland
Jamie Roberts - Wales
Manu Tuilagi - England
Owen Farrell - England
Jonathan Sexton - Ireland
Conor Murray - Ireland
Mike Phillips - Wales
Ben Youngs - England

Forwards

Dan Cole - England
Cian Healy - Ireland
Gethin Jenkins - Wales
Adam Jones - Wales
Matt Stevens - England
Mako Vunipola - England
Dylan Hartley - England
Richard Hibbard - Wales
Tom Youngs - England
Ian Evans - Wales
Richie Gray - Scotland
Alun-Wyn Jones - Wales
Paul O'Connell - Ireland
Geoff Parling - England
Tom Croft - England
Toby Faletau - Wales
Jamie Heaslip - Ireland
Dan Lydiate - Wales
Sean O'Brien - Ireland
Justin Tipuric - Wales
Sam Warburton - Wales (captain)