Former international referee Nigel Owens has picked out five Welsh players he hopes will make the British and Irish Lions touring squad.
Andy Farrell will announce his squad on Thursday, May 8, with many predicting that there will be very few Wales players featuring in the touring party.
Owens admits that ‘we all braced for there to be very few Wales players’ to make the squad, given the poor run of results at the international level.
“Head and shoulders above everybody in Wales”
However, the former match official has pinpointed four players that he hopes will be named by Farrell and another one that he’d be shocked if he didn’t get the call.
“Jac Morgan is a Lion, as far as I’m concerned,” Owens wrote in his WalesOnline column.
“The back row is one area where Farrell has got an abundance of choice, but Morgan has been head and shoulders above everybody in a Wales jersey for some time now. He’s a wonderful player and person and I’d be very, very surprised – shocked even – if he’s not on the tour.”
While Owens would be surprised not to see Morgan’s name featuring on the list, he is hopeful about another four joining him on the plane Down Under.
“I think Tomos Williams would have been a shoo-in previously, given how he’s played for Gloucester this season and how he performed for Wales during the autumn internationals,” he continued.
“But during the Six Nations, he certainly wasn’t in the same form as he was in the autumn, he was a bit below par – and that may well influence Farrell’s final decision.
“I think, previously, Dewi Lake would have definitely been a Lion but a lack of game-time for Wales may have affected him. He’s certainly a great player who is back on form now for the Ospreys, and if he hadn’t had the injuries he’s had this year, he would be on this tour without a shadow of a doubt, in a very competitive position as well. Whether he has played enough to get Farrell’s vote, however, remains to be seen.”
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Faletau has an outside chance
34-year-old back-rower Taulupe Faletau has had a horrid time with injuries in recent times, but the three-time Lions tourist is still in with a shout, according to Owens.
Faletau has been in fine form with Cardiff, but the former referee questions whether he has done enough to earn a spot in a competitive position.
“As for our other hopes, I would say that Taulupe Faletau and Dafydd Jenkins are both outside chances,” he wrote.
“Faletau is obviously a fantastic player who has been on three previous tours and has shown glimpses of his greatness since returning from a long injury lay-off, but who knows whether that will be enough to earn him a spot?
“Those would be the five Wales players I think have a chance of being involved this summer, but obviously the final decision rests with Farrell and his coaching team, who might think completely differently to me!”
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Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/nigel-owens-braced-for-limited-welsh-influence-in-british-and-irish-lions-squad-but-reveals-one-snub-that-would-shock
