Shane backs Davies as he faces tough wait before Lions D-day
JONATHAN Davies is among a host of Scarlets facing an anxious wait as Warren Gatland prepares to reveal his Lions squad.
The two-time tourist has struggled for fitness for much of the last two seasons, but he did play a crucial role in Wales’s unexpected Six Nations title triumph.
The long-term knee injury suffered by George North has increased the chances of Davies being named in the squad, though a host of other centres have also made strong claims for a tour place.
But Wales legend Shane Williams says Bancyfelin product Davies should be named in the touring party heading to South Africa.
“I feel mean saying this because he is a truly worldclass operator at the top level, but I don’t think he has been the same player since his knee injury at the World Cup,” he wrote in his coluimn for the Rugby Paper.
“He has also moved from outside to inside centre with Wales.
“I would take him, purely because of his experience of past tours.
“He knows what it takes to be a Lion and can be a guiding light to some of the younger players. “Someone like Jon will want to be a Test starter and he won’t like me saying this, but even if he isn’t, he can be a vital figure for the midweek side. “I hope he proves me wrong, makes the tour, and produces some brilliant rugby.”
Davies’s fellow Scarlets Liam Williams, Ken Owens and Wyn Jones are all likely to be named by Gatland as he shapes a team capable of topping the world champions in their own back yard.
But the scrumhalf duo of Gareth Davies (circled, left) and Kieran Hardy both face tense waits, though their chances of selection have been improved by the decision of England’s Ben Youngs not to tour for family reasons.
Leigh Halfpenny is also likely to come under consideration.
He may have lost his place in the Wales team to Liam Williams, but he has a proven Lions Test pedigree which Gatland values.