Yet there are some significant absentees, the most notable of which sees their captain Hartley overlooked in favour of his global understudy Jamie George, who travels as one of three hookers alongside Rory Best and Ken Owens despite never having started a Test.
Reigning English and European champions Saracens provided the most players from any one club in the 41-man squad announced Wednesday for the Lions upcoming campaign against the world champion All Blacks.
"We couldn't leave Jamie out".
"The prognosis with him is a lot more positive than was first diagnosed in terms of it's an unusual injury with a capsule thing, or something, but the prognosis and the recovery is hopefully a lot better than what was potentially first suspected". Jamie's set piece and his running game, Ken Owens' form in the Six Nations was tremendous, Rory Best's competitiveness, his leadership his work at the set piece.
"It's an extremely hostile position to play in and I guess it's a bit of a luxury that, if someone else has to be called up [in case of injury], you know you're going to be able to call up another quality player".
Gatland pointed out the Lions had several accomplished goalkickers in the squad.
Centres: Robbie Henshaw (Ireland), Jonathan Davies (Wales), Jonathan Joseph, Ben Te'o (England).
Meanwhile lock cum flanker Itoje, the youngest player in the Lions squad at the age of 22, said: "No matter when you start playing rugby or how long you've played rugby, you want to be part of the British and Irish Lions".
The Australian may choose to rest the likes of Mike Brown, Chris Robshaw, George Ford, Joe Launchbury and Tom Wood, giving them a precious breather in a packed calendar.
In Syria Syria's Assad is an 'arch-terrorist': British FM
With the help of Russians and Iranians, and by dint of unrelenting savagery, he has not only recaptured Aleppo. Now, Johnson has said: "Assad uses chemical weapons because they are not only awful and indiscriminate".
"I think this is the best British and Irish Lions that we've seen come here for a long, long time", Hansen said. He has a point of difference - his footwork, his speed, the lines he ran against Scotland [in England's 61-21 win in March] were outstanding.
"After four years ago with not being named in the initial squad and then with everyone saying this time "you've got a good chance to be named in it", to then be sitting round with my family when my name was read out was just elation and that was probably the best word for it".
Two Saints players did make it into the Lions squad, with Courtney Lawes and George North both selected.
He then joined England club Worcester past year. "Joe is unlucky and we had a discussion about the second-rows", Gatland said. That's going to be important for us.
"You try to talk about how they are human, they are capable of making mistakes, they do have frailties if you put them under pressure", Gatland said. They've been well coached by Vern (Cotter) who's done an exceptional job.
The squad is only three fewer than Clive Woodward took on the ill-fated 2005 New Zealand campaign.
"The three we have come we believe give us the right mix of strengths".
Nor did he seem overly concerned Beauden Barrett was no goalkicking for Hurricanes, provided he was practicing.
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