Louise (Admin)
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Lions set to name SA tour squadLions set to name SA tour squad
Paul O'Connell has been in fine form for club and country
Ireland lock Paul O'Connell will be unveiled as British and Irish Lions captain for this summer's tour of South Africa at 1330 BST on Tuesday.
At a Heathrow hotel, head coach Ian McGeechan will announce the 36-man squad to face the world champions.
The party will leave for the 10-match tour, which includes Tests in Durban, Pretoria and Johannesburg, on 24 May - a day after the Heineken Cup final.
Ireland's skipper Brian O'Driscoll was the other contender for the captaincy.
But McGeechan, 61, has opted for the 29-year-old Munster captain, following in the paths of Lions legends Willie John McBride and Martin Johnson as skippers in South Africa.
McBride led the 1974 'Invincibles' on their unbeaten tour of the country, one of two Lions trips McGeechan featured in as a player.
The Scot has since featured in four parties as a coach, including the Lions' last visit to South Africa, when he chose Johnson as captain for the victorious 1997 tour.
On that occasion McGeechan said he opted for Johnson as a "physical presence to knock on the Springboks' dressing room door and intimidate them", although Johnson himself believes that was a "bit of kidology".
O'Connell, one of six players to start all three Lions Tests in New Zealand four years ago, has been in superb form for Munster and Ireland this season.
There was some doubt about his captaincy hopes when he criticised Wales coach Warren Gatland, who will be the Lions forwards coach, following Ireland's Grand Slam-clinching victory in Cardiff in March
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