Dylan Hartley: Northampton Saints hooker overlooked for Lions tour to New Zealand

Dylan Hartley won't be travelling to New Zealand this summer. Credit: PA

Northampton Saints hooker Dylan Hartley will miss the upcoming British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand after he was overlooked by Head Coach Warren Gatland.

The England captain was the surprise absentee from the 41-man squad which was announced this afternoon, while the likes of Joe Launchbury and James Haskell have also been left out.

At the age of 31, it means that Hartley's last realistic chance of representing the Lions has probably passed after he was forced to sit out the 2013 tour to Australia through suspension.

Hartley has led England to two Six Nations titles in a row as skipper but that record wasn't enough for Gatland to pick him, with England's Jamie George, Ireland's Rory Best and Wales' Ken Owens filling the three hooker berths instead.

Hartley's Saints teammates Courtney Lawes and George North have been included though, and Norfolk's Ben Youngs has been picked as one of three scrum-halfs alongside Ireland's Conor Murray and Wales' Rhys Webb.

16 Englishmen have been selected by Gatland, as well as 12 from Wales, 11 from Ireland and just two from Scotland. Welshman Sam Warburton will captain the side for the second series in a row.

The tour will run from June 3 to July 8, and the Lions will be hoping to compete better than they did in 2005 where they were humbled 3-0 by the All Blacks.

Ben Youngs (left) and George North (right) have both been selected. Credit: PA

  • Analysis

Northampton Saints legend Ian Hunter was surprised that Hartley was omitted from the squad, but added that he could see why the other three hookers were preferred.

"I actually think that Gatland has chosen the three standout hookers in the Six Nations, I don't think you could choose any other way," Hunter told ITV News Anglia.

"I did think that Dylan would get there though. New Zealand is a tough place to tour and I could just see Dylan with that extra experience captaining the midweek side. I just think with a few more games before the tour and on the tour, you'd probably see Dylan back to his best."

  • Full British and Irish Lions squad to tour New Zealand

Forwards: Rory Best (Ireland), Dan Cole (England), Taulupe Faletau (Wales), Tadhg Furlong (Ireland), Jamie George (England), Iain Henderson (Ireland), Maro Itoje (England), Alun Wyn Jones (Wales), George Kruis (England), Courtney Lawes (England), Joe Marler (England), Jack McGrath (Ireland), Ross Moriarty (Wales), Sean O'Brien (Ireland), Peter O'Mahony (Ireland), Ken Owens (Wales), Kyle Sinckler (England), CJ Stander (Ireland), Justin Tipuric (Wales), Billy Vunipola (England), Mako Vunipola (England), Sam Warburton (Wales)

Backs: Dan Biggar (Wales), Elliot Daly (England), Jonathan Davies (Wales), Owen Farrell (England), Leigh Halfpenny (Wales), Robbie Henshaw (Ireland), Stuart Hogg (Scotland), Jonathan Joseph (England), Conor Murray (Ireland), George North (Wales), Jack Nowell (England), Jared Payne (Ireland), Jonathan Sexton (Ireland), Tommy Seymour (Scotland), Ben Te'o (England), Anthony Watson (England), Rhys Webb (Wales), Liam Williams (Wales), Ben Youngs (England)