Which England players have been Lions bolters?
With the 2025 British & Irish Lions squad announcement just around the corner, rugby fans across the country will be wondering who this year’s ‘bolters’ will be, but which England players have been past Lions bolters?
Bolters, players who propelled themselves into consideration with recent performances, are one of the many highlights of Lions tours and England have contributed many over the years.
This year, the likes of Henry Pollock, George Ford and Fin Smith may have started the year as outside chances but are now well and truly in the conversation.
2021: Marcus Smith
One of the ultimate Lions bolters, Smith had helped steer Harlequins to a sensational season turnaround as they went from just two league wins by January 2021, to Premiership champions in June.
Smith’s season went from one high to another, as he made his first capped appearance for England against the USA just a week later. The following week, the fly half started against Canada and upon being substituted found out he had been called into the Lions squad as cover for Finn Russell.
On the tour, he started against The Stormers and scored 14 points from the tee. He also helped create Jack Conan’s try with a clever switch of play to release Elliot Daly on an inside line, as well as demonstrating his brilliant footwork with a fantastic step in the build up to Louis Rees-Zammit’s try.
2017: Kyle Sinckler
Although Sinckler was a relatively well-known face for England having won the Guinness Men’s Six Nations in 2017, he was still yet to make a Test start.
However, his touches off the bench for England during that title win combined with his form for Harlequins in the Premiership saw him rewarded with a place in the squad.
Sinckler was an integral part of the Lions squad from the off and started the opening game of the tour against New Zealand Barbarians. He then played in all three Test matches as a replacement and won a crucial late penalty in the 2nd Test.
2013: Alex Corbisiero
Corbisiero was already a strong international presence, having played for England at the 2011 Rugby World Cup, but he missed the 2013 Six Nations with injury and looked set to miss out on the tour too.
In fact, the prop only played five games before he was drafted into the squad in place of the injured Cian Healey.
He then played in three of the Pre-Test matches, before being selected to start the first and the third Tests against the Wallabies.
Corbisiero wrote himself into Lions folklore with a smart try to open the scoring of what ended up being a rout in the final game of the Series.
2009: Ugo Monye
Prior to the 2009 Lions Tour of South Africa, Monye had won just six caps for England and only made his debut during the 2008 Autumn Internationals.
The Harlequin forced himself into the reckoning with a brilliant performance against Scotland during the 2009 Six Nations, including a sensational try-saving tackle on Thom Evans, which even he credited with helping get him into the Lions squad.
Monye went on to start the first and third Tests against the Springboks, scoring a brilliant interception try to help the Lions win their final game.
2005: Mark Cueto
Cueto was another player in the early days of a blossoming international career, having only made his England debut in November 2004. However, a formidable first Six Nations in 2005 in which he scored a hattrick against Italy saw him firmly in contention for a place on the tour.
Initially, Cueto wasn’t called up, but when Ian Balshaw suffered an injury the Sale Sharks wing was drafted in to replace his England teammate. Cueto started and scored in the first match on New Zealand soil against Bay of Plenty. He wasn’t selected for the first two Test matches, but played his way into the starting lineup for the final match of the tour.
2001: Jason Robinson
Robinson is the bolter benchmark and despite now being one of the most well-known players of all time, came onto the scene as a complete unknown, at least in international terms.
The full back had just converted to rugby union from league and had never started an international Test in the code before he was called into the squad. However, he made an instant impact, scoring a sensational five tries in his first game for the Lions against Queensland President’s XV.
He followed that up with an impressive first ever Test in the first game against Australia, using his trademark step to round Chris Latham and score the opening try of a famous 13-29 win. Although the Lions went on to lose the series, he scored another try in the final Test to truly announce himself on the international stage.
1997: Will Greenwood
Like Robinson, Greenwood was yet to be capped by England, but his form for Leicester Tigers as they reached the European Cup final was too good to be ignored.
Unfortunately for Greenwood, his tour was cut short when he was knocked unconscious against Free State.
