Twelve Welshmen on Lions tour is not justified –Telfer
SCOTTISH rugby legend Jim Telfer has hit out at the inclusion of 12 Welshmen in the Lions squad.
Telfer, who was part of the coaching team on the victorious Lions tour to South Africa in 1997, says the Scots Six Nations win against Wales should have tipped the scales differently.
Only full-back Stuart Hogg and wing Tommy Seymour made Warren Gatland’s 41-man party despite Scotland’s obvious improvement.
“Twelve Welshmen who have had a pretty average season in a Lions squad of 41 is not justified, especially as Scotland just got two and we beat Wales well,” said Telfer.
“Scottish rugby fans have every reason to be aggrieved and disillusioned because of that. We beat Wales fair and square. We beat Ireland fair and square — yet only got two players in the Lions squad.
“There will be a disconnect from Scottish rugby fans going out to watch the Lions in New Zealand. The Lions supporters are loyal but they like to see a sprinkling of players from their own country taking part. With only two Scots definitely going that thrill has gone.
“There is nobody in that Lions squad apart from Stuart Hogg that excites me. You need a bit of spark to win games at the highest level and only Stuart has that.
“There is nobody in that squad apart from him that has that ‘x factor’ or the sort of flair that Finn Russell has been showing for Scotland, yet Finn is not being picked.
“Scotland have the most creative back division in northern hemisphere rugby yet we only got our fullback and one of our wingers in the Lions squad.
“Okay, Finn didn’t play well against England but that was a oneoff game when everything that could have gone wrong for Scotland did. You going to ignore him because of that? No, you should not.”
It’s thought that Scotland’s heavy defeat to England scuppered the hopes of several of their players. Meanwhile one of the Wales representatives in the tour party, Ross Moriarty, has been described as a ‘stand-out’ player by his Lions skipper Sam Warburton.
Moriarty is among 25 first-time Lions heading to New Zealand this summer in a squad that will be captained by Wales flanker Warburton.
And such recognition for the 23-year-old Gloucester back-row forward underlines how much progress he has made since being handed a Test debut against World Cup warmup opponents Ireland 20 months ago.
“When I saw Ross’ name (in the Lions squad) I was absolutely thrilled for him,” Warburton said.
“It doesn’t surprise me one bit because he was probably one of Wales’ best players in New Zealand when we went there last summer.
“He is very quick, very explosive, very dynamic, a great ball-carrier, so aggressive in defence - he has been the stand-out player for Wales since the World Cup, really.
“Wales have had a quite stable squad, but he is the only person who has come in (to the squad) recently and made a massive impression.
“He is a tremendous athlete, he is athletically similar to a number 13 with his attributes. He will be a great addition to the squad.”
Why Telfer’s got it wrong PLUS who will make Wales tour? Pages 40-43