Marcus Smith names the three players that seriously impressed him while touring Australia with the British and Irish Lions

Marcus Smith was part of the British and Irish Lions squad that claimed victory in the Test series against Australia in the summer of 2025.

It was a momentous tour for Andy Farrell’s side, as it was their first series win since 2012 in which they again were victorious over the Wallabies.

The Lions would win the first and second Tests before Australia would restore a bit of pride by securing a victory in the third match.

Smith will have fond memories of the tour, particularly the first Test, as he came off the bench to play a key part in this victory.

The England international seemingly enjoyed every moment of the tour, particularly the unique element of the Lions, bringing together the four home nations.

Rivalries between the home nations are put to one side as they look to conquer one of the historic Southern Hemisphere giants every four years, and it allows players to get to know one another after knocking lumps out of each other in the Six Nations.

This experience allowed Smith to gain a new perspective on certain individuals that he would have considered rivals, and the England international has now spoken about the three individuals that truly stood out to him as fantastic rugby players but also incredible people.

Smith said: “I think it would be a disservice of me if I didn't mention Mack. Obviously, he's an excellent player, but I think for me as well, more importantly, it's about the person. It's about what he stands for, how he acts with everyone, not just us as players.

“And to be able to have the opportunity to share a room with Mack, I saw the real, I guess, Mack Hansen - funny, energetic, but also a deep thinker as well. And obviously, across the tour, we had ups and downs together and experienced a lot. So, I would say Mack was one.”

The second player that the England international truly came to admire may have still been considered a rival while on the tour, Finn Russell.

Smith and the Scotland international would have been competing for the fly-half position, but this has not impacted how he views Russell as a player or individual.

He said: “Finn Russell I get on really well with. Again, excellent on the field over the last few years. He always has a smile on his face and makes things look easy on the field. But off the field, he's pretty chilled. Very close with his family. He's just a normal guy.”

The last man to make a lasting impact on Smith during the Lions tour was another Ireland international, particularly after the pair shared a room while in Australia.

He said: “Another one would be Jamison Gibson Park.

“Again, over the last five to 10 years, he's been up there. Internationally, you could argue in the world and have the opportunity again to train with him and spend time with him. I roomed with him for a couple of weeks. Again, you see, obviously, his competitive edge on the field, and he's barking at his forwards.

“But off the field, you see a guy who's pretty chilled, cracking jokes, enjoys his life. And I think that's, again, the beauty of these sorts of tours: you get to meet your rivals and your competitors, which you play every year. And again, you almost don't know the person when you go into a game just because you see them on the field. You know that you don't really have much time to get to know them. But I think these sorts of opportunities really open your eyes to actually, okay, he hit you late in the game and he's giving you a bit on the field, but he's actually a good bloke and he's a nice guy.”

Marcus Smith speaks to SPORTbible thanks to Optimum Nutrition, the UK’s No.1 Sports Nutrition brand: www.optimumnutrition.com/en-gb