A year to selection... top 50’s chances of
AYEAR from now Warren Gatland will be preparing to name his Lions squad for the eagerlyawaited tour to South Africa.
The certainty is before then, and indeed after the announcement, many a pub argument will ensue over the make-up of his party.
How many Welsh players can expect to go? Can any be considered ‘definites’ right now? Which players are almost there? Who has a lot to do? And who’s coming from so far back it might take a pair of powerful binoculars to spot them?
MARK ORDERS has examined the claims of the 50 top Welsh players...
CERTAINTIES Liam Williams
He had an outstanding season in Gatland’s final year as Wales coach and he’s a player who seems to thrive on tours: he was excellent with the Lions in New Zealand in 2017 and for Wales when they visited the same country a year earlier. Pressure occasions and big challenges bring the best out of him. He’ll tour.
Josh Adams
Adams is Gatland’s kind of guy. “He’s gritty, gutsy, he goes looking for the ball, has great footwork and the ability to score tries,” said the Kiwi after the World Cup when discussing potential Lions picks. The coach loves his selflessness and work ethic. A lot would need to go wrong for Adams not to make the trip.
Justin Tipuric
The best openside in the Six Nations this season, he’s a thinker who can do it all. His Wales career took time to ignite under Gatland, but when the New Zealander started handing him the No.7 shirt post-Sam Warburton, Tipuric delivered.
HIGHLY LIKELY Dan Biggar
He brings a huge amount and could end up being the Test fly-half, but with Owen Farrell, George Ford and Finn Russell around, his first job will be to secure a spot on the plane. It would be a surprise if he failed in that endeavour.
Jonathan Davies
The only thing stopping Fox from being considered a certainty at this point is the knee injury that’s currently placed him off limits. How well he recovers will be key. If he’s near his best, he makes the cut.
Alun Wyn Jones
The only thing stopping Wales’ skipper from being considered a certainty at this point is his age. He’ll be 35 in the summer of 2021. But if anyone is capable of fighting the dying of the light in the spirit of Dylan Thomas, it’s Swansea-born Jones. If he’s on his game, he travels, possibly as skipper.
Nick Tompkins
He’s a ball-playing centre who adds fizz to a backline and he’s looked the part in his first season of Test rugby. The odd defensive crease in his game needs to be ironed out, but he has terrific variety to his game.
Ken Owens
The 33-year-old is another one who’s wrapping up his hands ahead of a showdown with Father Time, as The Killers almost said. But if he holds his form, he makes another Lions tour.
Tomas Francis
Tadhg Furlong and Kyle Sinckler are certainties to travel, but Gatland will be seeking a third tight-head and Francis, a player the Kiwi has a lot of time for, could be the that man.
IN NEED OF AN OUTSTANDING SEASON Leigh Halfpenny
A dead-eyed goal-kicker and specialist full-back of Halfpenny’s calibre has to be worth a lot to a coach, but with Liam Williams, Jordan Larmour and Stuart Hogg as potential rivals, the Scarlet will need to conjure something special.
George North
Examine the list of riches out wide potentially available to Gatland: Josh Adams, Anthony Watson, Jonny May, Andrew Conway, Jacob Stockdale,