Ronan O’Gara has almost convinced us one underrated Irishman will make the Lions squad

He made the Lions touring squad in 2009 and could be set for a return.

We are three weeks away from Warren Gatland announcing his British & Irish Lions touring squad to travel to New Zealand this summer. Following a decent November Series and a second place finish in the Six Nations, Ireland will be hoping for squad representatives in the double figures. Conservative estimates are for seven Irish players to make the cut while the more optimistic will argue that there could be as many as 12... or even 13 [for the real optimists]. During the latest episode of The Hard Yards rugby podcast, former Ireland and Lions outhalf Ronan O'Gara made a convincing case for three Irish backs [the chat begins at 31:15]. https://soundcloud.com/thehardyardssportsjoe/episode-8-six-nations-winners-and-losers-irish-lions-and-dirtiest-opponents O'Gara believes Rob Kearney is definitely in with a shot of making the Lions squad based on his aerial capabilities and past performances against the All Blacks. Still, Hogg is a guaranteed starter at fullback in O'Gara's Lions XV. When it comes to filling out the Lions backline, the Racing 92 coach looks no further than two men that put it up to his side in the Champions Cup this season - Keith Earls and Simon Zebo. "Will Zebo go as the alternative 15?" O'Gara began. "For me, he has 'X' factor and he is definitely on the plane.

"And then, statistically speaking, it was a great championship for Keith Earls in terms of line breaks, tries scored, defenders beaten. He can play 12, 13, 11, 15, 14. "You have to be sharp when you're building your squad as in how do you envisage this [tour] going? Because they will have mapped all these games and they'll know exactly how they want to approach them." 

In this year's Six Nations, Earls scored three tries, beat 13 defenders with ball-in-hand and had eight line breaks. At present, the best odds you can get on him to make the Lions Starting XV is 16/1. As convincing as O'Gara's argument was, Earls has not exactly covered himself in glory when facing the All Blacks. The 29-year-old has faced New Zealand four times and has yet to end up on the winning side. On the 2012 tour to New Zealand, Earls was named inside centre but played most of a 42-14 defeat playing outside centre at Eden Park. He missed the close call in Christchurch and endured a torrid time on the wing in a 60-0 hammering in Hamilton. He had one memorable coming together with Hosea Gear at Waikato Stadium... Earls is a better all-round talent now but he does have the tendency to get spectacularly pulped every now and then.