Mistake to pick Marler over Evans says Cotton
THE Lions have made a mistake by failing to pick Wales loosehead Rob Evans, according to the only prop to win a Test series as a player and manager.
Fran Cotton identifies Evans’ omission from the 41-man New Zealand tour party as his only criticism of ‘the strongest Lions squad for 30 years’. The 70year-old English Lion believes they would have been stronger still had the Scarlets’ prop been chosen instead of England’s Joe Marler.
“Rob Evans should be in the squad,’’ Cotton told The
Rugby Paper. “They are not giving him enough credit for what he did during the Six Nations. I am disappointed he’s not going because he would have been very good in New Zealand.
“I never saw a game in which he was out-scrummaged and I saw them all, but you need to be a bit more than a strong scrummager. Evans is also an exceptional ball-carrier.
“He has an off-loading game and real footballing skills. He is the full package, a better rugby player than Joe Marler but these things happen. It’s all a matter of opinion.
“(Kyle) Sinckler is a wildcard selection. Rob has much more experience at international level. My advice to him would be: ‘Keep yourself fit and not far from the phone because
they may well be calling you up at some stage.’”
Evans, 25 last week, broke into the Wales team two years ago, then supplanted the hitherto immovable Gethin Jenkins as his country’s No.1 loosehead before a broken wrist put him out of the autumn series.
Cotton, a pillar of the Lions throughout their invincible tour of South Africa in 1974 and manager of the last victorious series in 1997, backs the decision to leave Dylan Hartley behind.
“Dylan has done a terrific job as captain of England and that’s the main thing he’s brought to the team,’’ Cotton says. “The Lions have picked three hookers who are better rugby players than Dylan so I am not surprised he’s been left out.”
Cotton adds: “The series will be closer than a lot of people think. This is the best chance we will have had for a long time. My head would say 2-1 to New Zealand but my heart says 2-1 to the Lions.
“This is a very, very strong squad – the strongest for the last 30 years, maybe longer. They are far stronger than the last Lions to visit New Zealand 12 years ago when some players were nearing the end of their careers and others were held together by Elastoplast.
“There is so much strength in every position, it’s hard to spot a weakness.
“They will need to be strong because the tour schedule is absolutely suicidal. The preparation could not be worse and the governing bodies responsible should be ashamed of themselves. We were only talking about the season finishing one week earlier.
“We are going to need every one of the 41 selected players plus another five or six as replacements at various stages of the tour. I just hope we are lucky with injuries.’’