karlpejera: Looking ahead to the Lions tour ?

With Six Nations performances fresh in the memory thoughts can move towards a touring party to face the Wallabies in 2013

The 2012 Six Nations is done, which means the countdown to the 2013 British and Irish Lions tour to Hong Kong and Australia can properly begin. Ask any player and, no matter how leg-weary he may be, the desire to represent the Lions remains a powerful stimulant. Between now and next April there will be no such thing as complacency for any potential contender. Wales are bound to be strongly represented but selection is more about suitability, than nationality. There is only one certainty: the Wallabies will face a strong raiding party in just over 14 months' time.

The harmonious 2009 squad in South Africa is an obvious blueprint. That squad contained 37 players, a record 14 of them Irishmen. One suspects at least a dozen of that party will be back for more, desperate for a series win to make up for the galant failure against the Springboks. Injury permitting, Adam Jones, Matthew Rees, Jamie Roberts, Mike Phillips, Jamie Heaslip, Rob Kearney and Tommy Bowe should all feature once more; it would be a fitting career finale if Brian O'Driscoll could join them. Paul O'Connell is another ageing giant, but he would travel on one leg if necessary.

It is not hard, either, to envisage Sean O'Brien, Jonathan Sexton and Rory Best being prime contenders. Should Stephen Ferris's knees let him down, O'Brien is hardly the worst replacement. Sexton has the ability to be a Test Lion, as does Rhys Priestland. George North must already be a certainty, so, too, the inspiring Sam Warburton. If you factor in some of the other strong Welsh contenders ? Jonathan Davies, Scott Williams, Dan Lydiate, Toby Faletau, Alun Wyn Jones and Gethin Jenkins ? the number of RaboDirect Pro12 representatives continues to soar.

So where does that leave England? Still a fair way back, at least in terms of automatic picks, but life can change quicker than you can say "Stuart Lancaster". Ben Morgan had not played a Test two months ago; suddenly he is among England's totems. Geoff Parling, Mouritz Botha and Brad Barritt cannot all make the cut but are classic Lions material: uncomplaining, enthusiastic and unselfish. You would expect Dan Cole and Alex Corbisiero to be involved, particularly after Saturday's events at Twickenham, but Tom Croft, Chris Robshaw and Tom Wood need to kick on. The back-row equation is horribly crowded: Scotland's Ross Rennie, David Denton, Alasdair Strokosch, John Barclay and Kelly Brown are just some of the names in the frame.

Richie Gray, Ross Ford, Max Evans and Stuart Hogg will also merit consideration, as might Greig Laidlaw on the basis there are not a million goalkickers around. By next year, too, the Edinburgh wing Tim Visser will be eligible to become the Lions' very own Flying Dutchman. The Wallabies threaten to be lightning behind the scrum and the Lions will definitely need some pace of their own. Equally vital will be stopping Australian momentum at source; Cian Healy and Mike Ross now have a lot of ground to make up. Scrum-half? Phillips is a certainty, the rest less so. As for midfield, the physicality of Manu Tuilagi has obvious attraction. Gavin Henson? You never know.

There are other wildcards out there. James Hook and Lee Byrne were Lions last time and would love to battle back into contention. Steffon Armitage has been making an excellent impression in Toulon, where a certain Jonny Wilkinson is still playing. If the prospect of Jonny enjoying one last hurrah in Australia feels remote, what about Danny Cipriani and James Haskell? Cipriani, as a Melbourne Rebel, will not be short of local knowledge, while Haskell's spells in Japan and New Zealand will do him no harm. Barritt has played Super Rugby for the Sharks and Gareth Delve is another Australian-based ex-pat. The cupboard is far from bare, which can only be good news.

And the conclusions? The 37 names below may or may not feature but it will be fascinating to see how closely it resembles the final list. If 14 Welshmen, 12 Irishmen, seven Englishmen, three Scots and a Dutchman is only a provisional estimate, there is time for amendments. Warburton must be a likely candidate as captain and it would be a huge surprise if Warren Gatland is not in charge. Roll on 2013.

Possible 2013 Lions squad?

Full-backs: Ben Foden (England), Rob Kearney (Ireland).

Wings: Chris Ashton (England), Tommy Bowe (Ireland), Leigh Halfpenny (Wales), George North (Wales), Tim Visser (Scotland).

Centres: Owen Farrell (England), Jamie Roberts (Wales), Jonathan Davies (Wales), Keith Earls (Ireland), Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland).

Fly-halves: Rhys Priestland (Wales), Jonathan Sexton (Ireland).

Scrum-halves: Lee Dickson (England), Greig Laidlaw (Scotland), Mike Phillips (Wales).

Props: Gethin Jenkins (Wales), Cian Healy (Ireland), Adam Jones (Wales), Dan Cole (England), Alex Corbisiero (England).

Hookers: Rory Best (Ireland), Ross Ford (Scotland), Matthew Rees (Wales).

Locks: Alun Wyn Jones (Wales), Paul O'Connell (Ireland, capt), Richie Gray (Scotland), Bradley Davies (Wales), Donnacha Ryan (Ireland).

Flankers: Stephen Ferris (Ireland), Dan Lydiate (Wales), Sean O'Brien (Ireland), Sam Warburton (Wales), Tom Croft (England).

No 8: Jamie Heaslip (Ireland), Toby Faletau (Wales).

On standby: Stuart Hogg (Scotland), Andrew Trimble (Ireland), Manu Tuilagi (England), Scott Williams (Wales), Brad Barritt (England), Ben Youngs (England), Dylan Hartley (England), Mike Ross (Ireland), Geoff Parling (England), Courtney Lawes (England), Tom Wood (England), Ross Rennie (Scotland), Peter O'Mahony (Ireland), Ben Morgan (England).

No country for old men

Another day, another retirement. Following hard on the bruised heels of Lewis Moody and Tom Rees, the Bath back-row forward Andy Beattie has become the latest casualty of the relentlessly physical English Premiership. Beattie, who has ankle problems, is 33, as is Moody. The former England and Harlequins hooker Matt Cairns, 34, called it a day in February because of ankle trouble. Maybe it is unrealistic for players to expect to continue into their mid 30s nowadays but Rees is only 27. The attrition rate remains a worry.

Worth watching this weekend

The Hong Kong Sevens. There is no question the profile of Sevens is rising. Olympic recognition for both sexes in 2016 is already having a serious effect. Take a look at the fast and furious action in Hong Kong this weekend and prepare to be pleasantly surprised.

Robert Kitson