The Classic Lions are coming well prepared and the French aren’t coming at all.It may be six months until the World Rugby Classic takes place again, but teams are already starting to make plans and the Lions are looking like serious contenders once more.England World Cup winners Josh Lewsey, Dan Luger and Andy Gomersall have all been named in a team that is dripping with talent, and has a whopping 718 international caps between them.Alongside Gomersall will be Scotland legend Gregor Townsend, while in the forwards, Colin Charvis and Shane Byrne will be joined by the likes of Gordon Bulloch, Malcolm O’Kelly and Jon Petrie.The Lions will compete in a new-look tournament, with Italy replacing France, who have been ‘rested’ by organiser John Kane for this year’s event.“This is our 24 year and what I’ve been trying to do is get the teams to do a lot more, with regards to funding and that sort of thing,” said Kane. “We can’t keep carrying it all the time.“I put proposals out to each team about what we needed from them, and the French didn’t seem to be able to come to the wicket to the extent that we needed.“So I told them I would rest them for this year, which they had no problem with.“We had been talking about (inviting) Italy for quite a while, we thought it would just add a new dimension to the event itself.”There will also be a change to the refereeing line-up, with Alan Lewis of Ireland coming to Bermuda to take charge in the Classic for the first time. Lewis has refereed in 45 Test matches, 90 Heineken Cup games, and narrowly missed out on a spot at his third World Cup this year, after officiating in 2003 and 2007.Classic Lions: Ross Beatie (Scotland, 9 caps), Mark Blair (Ireland, 7), Gordon Bulloch (Scotland, 75), Shane Byrne (Ireland, 41), Colin Charvis (Wales, 94), David Corkery (Ireland, 28), Leigh Davies (Wales, 21), Derek Eves (England, 1), Jason Forster (Wales, 3), Andy Gomersall (England, 35), Ben Hinshalwood (Scotland, 19), Andrew Howell (Wales, 1), Dafydd James (Wales, 48), Paul Jones (Wales, 1), Josh Lewsey (England, 55), Dan Luger (England, 38), Niall Malone (Ireland, 3), Stuart Mofatt (Scotland, 3), Malcolm O’Kelly (Ireland, 92), Jon Petrie (Scotalnd, 45), Dave Scully (England, 2), Nathan Thomas (Wales, 9), James Topping (Ireland, 3), Gregor Townsend (Scotland, 82), Fraser Waters (England, 3).