Harpenden duo heading to South Africa as British & Irish Lions name squad

Owen Farrell makes a break during the third test of the 2017 British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand. (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

Fellow St George's pupil George Ford misses out, as does Billy Vunipola of Saracens, but there is a place for Welwyn Garden City-born Jamie George.

Jamie George during the second test of the 2017 British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand. (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

The 37-strong squad, chosen by head coach Warren Gatland, will be spearheaded by Wales's Alun Wyn Jones, keeping the captaincy in the principality following the two tenures of Sam Warburton.

It will be the fourth successive Lions tour for the 35-year-old Ospreys forward who has clocked up a world record 157 tests for both Wales and the Lions.

Jones actual led the Lions to the series-clinching victory over Australia in Sydney eight years ago when Warburton was injured.

Alun Wyn Jones will captain the British & Irish Lions on their tour to South Africa. (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

Speaking on the Lions website he said: "Obviously I'm very proud, very privileged. To be selected in the squad is initially what you want to be hearing, and to have the armband as well is a privilege, with the names that have gone before and what those players have achieved.

"I had a call from Gats on Sunday evening, actually a missed call. Thought I better give him a call back.

"We had a quick chat and I accepted obviously. I've just got a huge amount of pride to add this to the CV, but obviously there's a lot of work to do once we get out there."

British & Irish Lions squad in full:

Josh Adams (Wales), Bundee Aki (Ireland), Dan Biggar (Wales), Elliot Daly (England), Gareth Davies (Wales), Owen Farrell (England), Chris Harris (Scotland), Robbie Henshaw (Ireland), Stuart Hogg (Scotland), Conor Murray (Ireland), Ali Price (Scotland), Louis Rees-Zammit (Wales), Finn Russell (Scotland), Duhan Van Der Merwe (Scotland), Anthony Watson (England), Liam Williams (Wales), Tadhg Beirne (Ireland), Jack Conan (Ireland), Luke Cowan-Dickie (England), Tom Curry (England), Zander Fagerson (Scotland), Taulupe Faletau (Wales), Tadhg Furlong (Ireland), Jamie George (England), Iain Henderson (Ireland), Jonny Hill (England), Maro Itoje (England), Wyn Jones (Wales), Courtney Lawes (England), Ken Owens (Wales), Andrew Porter (Ireland), Sam Simmonds (England), Rory Sutherland (Scotland), Justin Tipuric (Wales), Mako Vunipola (England), Hamish Watson (Scotland), Alun Wyn Jones (Wales, capt).