One man who's emerged as a serious contender to lead the Lions next year is Ryan Jones, the Wales captain who is up for the IRB Player of the Year award next month. Total Rugby spoke with him exclusively this week and found that, when it comes to the Lions, he'd be immensely proud to be selected but is looking no further than his next club coaching session.
"It's a huge accolade and an honour and anyone who says it's not is a liar, and anyone who says they don't aspire to it is also a liar. I'd love to go on that Lions tour, I'd love to be picked on merit," he said.
"It's one of those things that tend to take care of themselves though. I'm desperate to play in a World Cup and I had that dream taken away [by injury] so I don't want to set my heart on it because I don't think I could deal with setting my sights on something so far ahead and having it taken away again."
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As a Grand Slam-winning captain, Jones is also one of the leading contenders to lead the side.
"Just to be talked about is a huge honour, it's not something I get caught up in. It's speculation and it's something that I've got no control over. It would be a huge honour and something that I'd grasp with two hands and try to do to the best of my ability but we'll see."
Taking over the captaincy in rugby-mad Wales is no small order but Jones has only ever tried to offer his very best in the job.
"I went in with the illusion that I was going into it with my eyes open and nothing was going to faze me, but that's not true. The only thing I said was that I'm going to try and be honest and be myself and not try and become the next Martin Johnson or whoever, because that's not me.
"I think you're found out quite quickly if you're trying to be something you're not. The boys know you inside out.
"All I've ever done is give it my best shot and I think you gain a respect from that. If we win we win, if we don't we don't and it's often my fault!
And did you know?.... Rugby was not even Jones' first sporting love.
"I grew up in a very active household. I came home one day and wanted to play cricket and my Dad would take me down to the cricket club, I played snooker, tennis was certainly my first passion, and then I wanted to be Ryan Giggs so I took up football and did that for a while before I found rugby.
"I'd just turned 17 and rugby was what all my friends were doing, playing rugby twice a week, going out on the town in all their blazers and shirts and I thought, 'doesn't look too bad to me!'"
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Abridged from Total Rugby Radio
