The wait is over. The 2009 British & Irish Lions were unveiled to great fanfare in London today along with confirmation that Ireland lock Paul O’Connell will lead the elite tourists to South Africa.

And so begins the ‘last great rugby adventure’ as tour manager Gerald Davies described it during a goose-bump inducing introduction to proceedings.

The Lions legend then read out the 37 names - 14 from Ireland, 13 from Wales, 8 from England and 2 from Scotland - that will go into battle in the famous red jerseys on a 10-match tour that will culminate in a three-Test series against the Springboks.

There were the names we all expected and also some many didn’t. England’s Ugo Monye, Wales' Leigh Halfpenny, Ireland’s Keith Earls and Wales’ Andy Powell will all board the plane as somewhat surprising selections but three national captains – England’s Steve Borthwick, Scotland’s Mike Blair and Wales’ Ryan Jones will not. For Jones it will surely be a bitter pill to swallow having fallen from favourite for the captaincy to surplus to requirements.

Powell's inclusion also comes depsite the huge No.8 suffering a drop in form but the Lions coaching team are obviously keen to put his big frame on the line in South Africa.

Perhaps the most surprising omission was England flanker Tom Croft who had been widely tipped to make a big impression on the hard ground of the high veldt. He is the vicitm of a highly-competitive position that will include the Irish trio of David Wallace, Stephen Ferris and Alan Quinlan, England's Joe Worsley and Wales' Martyn Williams.

The appointment of O'Connell, the worst kept secret in rugby, was ratified and the big ginger lock was paraded in front of the media and talked up his side's chances - and talked down his recent spat with Wales coach Warren Gatland.

So who are going to be the stars of the tour? And did McGeechan get it right?

British and Irish Lions squad for the 2009 tour of South Africa:

Fullback: Lee Byrne (Wales), Rob Kearney (Ireland)

Wing: Shane Williams (Wales), Leigh Halfpenny (Wales), Ugo Monye (England), Luke Fitzgerald (Ireland), Tommy Bowe (Ireland)

Centre: Tom Shanklin (Wales), Jamie Roberts (Wales), Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland), Keith Earls (Ireland), Riki Flutey (England)

Fly-half: Ronan O'Gara (Ireland), Stephen Jones (Wales)

Scrum-half: Mike Phillips (Wales), Harry Ellis (England), Tomas O'Leary (Ireland)

Number eight: Jamie Heaslip (Ireland), Andy Powell (Wales)

Flanker: David Wallace (Ireland), Stephen Ferris (Ireland), Alan Quinlan (Ireland), Joe Worsley (England), Martyn Williams (Wales)

Lock: Alun-Wyn Jones (Wales), Paul O'Connell (Ireland, capt), Donncha O'Callaghan (Ireland), Simon Shaw (England), Nathan Hines (Scotland)

Prop: Gethin Jenkins (Wales), Adam Jones (Wales), Andrew Sheridan (England), Phil Vickery (England), Euan Murray (Scotland)

Hooker: Jerry Flannery (Ireland), Lee Mears (England), Matthew Rees (Wales)