New British and Irish Lions captain Maro Itoje was among the tries for Saracens in Saturday’s Premiership rugby

We take a look at how each of 2025’s British and Irish Lions players involved in Saturday’s Premiership and URC matches got on…

Back-row Ben Earl and lock Maro Itoje – 2025 Lions captain – were in action as Saracens kept alive their hopes of claiming a play-off spot by crushing Premiership bottom club Newcastle 75-28 at the Allianz Stadium.

Newcastle stunned Saracens back in November with a 17-12 win at Kingston Park but a fully-loaded Saracens, with their three newly-selected Lions in the starting line-up, exacted full revenge.

Saracens ran in 11 tries with Juan Martin Gonzalez scoring a hat-trick, Earl adding two and Theo Dan, Ivan van Zyl, Itoje, Charlie Bracken, Tom Willis and Jamie George scoring the others. Now three-time Lion Elliot Daly started and played the whole game at outside-centre.

Earl celebrated his Lions call-up by picking up from a scrum before brushing aside weak tackles from Stuart and Max Clark to score.

New Lions skipper Itoje was the next to celebrate his selection for this summer’s tour to Australia by finishing off a driving lineout.

Elsewhere, loosehead prop Ellis Genge was in action as Bristol Bears kept themselves firmly in Premiership play-off contention after beating west country rivals Bath 36-14 at the Principality Stadium.

In Harlequins’ clash vs Gloucester at the Stoop, fly-half Marcus Smith kicked four conversions as part of a 38-19 victory. Gloucester and Wales scrum-half Tomos Williams played the full game in defeat.

Bath rested both their Lions for the contest in fly-half Finn Russell and tighthead prop Will Stuart, one week on from sealing a Challenge Cup final place with victory away at Edinburgh.

Over the water in Ireland, second row Tadhg Beirne captained Munster to a vital 38-20 victory over Ulster at Thomond Park, scoring a try as they took a massive step towards confirming their place in next season’s Champions Cup and the end of season URC playoffs.

In Leinster’s mismatch clash with Italian minnows Zebre, hooker Ronan Kelleher, wing James Lowe and flanker Josh van der Flier were among the try-scorers in a 76-5 success.

Glasgow Warriors centre Huw Jones scored a try in a heavy 33-7 defeat in Italy to Benetton, while Edinburgh loosehead prop Pierre Schoeman scored a try in a 31-21 victory over Connacht in Galway.

British and Irish Lions 38-player squad for 2025 tour of Australia

Forwards (21):

Tadhg Beirne, Ollie Chessum, Jack Conan, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Scott Cummings, Tom Curry, Ben Earl, Zander Fagerson, Tadhg Furlong, Ellis Genge, Maro Itoje (c), Ronan Kelleher, Joe McCarthy, Jac Morgan, Henry Pollock, Andrew Porter, James Ryan, Pierre Schoeman, Dan Sheehan, Will Stuart, Josh van der Flier.

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Ieuan Evans reveals the 21 forwards who will represent the British and Irish Lions on their Tour of Australia in the summer

Backs (17):

Bundee Aki, Elliot Daly, Tommy Freeman, Jamison Gibson-Park, Mack Hansen, Huw Jones, Hugo Keenan, Blair Kinghorn, James Lowe, Alex Mitchell, Garry Ringrose, Finn Russell, Fin Smith, Marcus Smith, Sione Tuipulotu, Duhan van der Merwe, Tomos Williams.

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Ieuan Evans reveals the 17 backs who will represent the British and Irish Lions on their Tour of Australia in the summer

Lions 2025 squad positional breakdown:

Loosehead prop

Ellis Genge (England), Andrew Porter (Ireland), Pierre Schoeman (Scotland)

Tighthead prop

Zander Fagerson (Scotland), Tadhg Furlong (Ireland), Will Stuart (England)

Hooker

Luke Cowan-Dickie (England), Ronan Kelleher (Ireland), Dan Sheehan (Ireland)

Second row

Maro Itoje (England, captain), Tadhg Beirne (Ireland), Ollie Chessum (England), Scott Cummings (Scotland), Joe McCarthy (Ireland), James Ryan (Ireland)

Back-row

Jack Conan (Ireland), Tom Curry (England), Ben Earl (England), Jac Morgan (Wales), Henry Pollock (England), Josh van der Flier (Ireland)

Scrum-half

Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland), Alex Mitchell (England), Tomos Williams (Wales)

Fly-half

Finn Russell (Scotland), Fin Smith (England), Marcus Smith (England)

Centre

Bundee Aki (Ireland), Huw Jones (Scotland), Garry Ringrose (Ireland), Sione Tuipolotu (Scotland)

Wings

Tommy Freeman (England), Mack Hansen (Ireland), James Lowe (Ireland), Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland)

Full-back

Elliot Daly (England), Hugo Keenan (Ireland), Blair Kinghorn (Scotland)

Watch the Lions tour of Australia live on Sky Sports in 2025

Sky Sports will exclusively show the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, with all three Tests against the Wallabies and six warm-up matches to be shown exclusively live.