High noon for the Lions Welshmen will make the
ON Wednesday, at 12 noon, months – make that years – of speculation will end. We will find out who has made the 2017 British and Irish Lions squad to tour New Zealand.
Warren Gatland is expected to name a party of 38, a number which he believes will give him the protection he could well need for an expedition that could be comfortably the toughest of the professional era.
Sam Warburton, it’s believed, will be handed the captaincy making him just the second man in history along with Martin Johnson to lead the Lions on two tours. That’s despite his current knee ligament injury which, by the time the squad departs on May 29 will have only just healed.
But if Warburton is therefore a certainty, where do the other Welsh contenders stand now that there are no further opportunities to convince Gatland on the field?
The secrecy around Gatland’s selection and the process by which the lucky few are informed by the media along with everybody else have, as was the case four years ago, made cast iron predictions scarce.
At best, the Welsh contingent is likely to be 10, at worst six, but the latter scenario is unlikely. Given form, reputation, and the varying degrees of competition in different positions, the final number will probably fall some way in between.
So, where do our boys stand? THE CERTAINTIES If any of the following fail to make the cut, we will be relaying a major story come midday on Wednesday. Their cases to be involved are cast-iron. Leigh Halfpenny While he is not back to the thunderous heights of his 2013 form, the consensus is that his track record and the fact that he is slowly inching back to his best will be enough. Halfpenny served a reminder in Wales’ final Six Nations game against France in Paris that he remains peerless as a source of points under the most extreme pressure. The player of the series four years ago is surely in. George North The way North performed against Scotland in the Six Nations had more than a few pundits penning his Lions obituary. But he stood up to be counted just in time by producing superb performances against Ireland and France. Gatland isn’t blessed with a galaxy of talent on the wing and so North’s experience and the fact that he’s proved he still has his game-breaking tendencies of old will be enough. Rhys Webb The way Wales’ first choice scrum-half played for the Ospreys on Judgement Day didn’t suggest he is a Lion-in-waiting. But that’s just what he is. Arguably Wales’ best player in the Six Nations, Webb should already be thinking about how he can win the race against Ireland’s Conor Murray for the Test jersey. After what Webb has been through with injuries, he thoroughly deserves this chance. Alun Wyn Jones The talismanic second row is currently out nursing a shoulder injury, but he’ll be ready in time for the Lions and the rest will probably have done him the world of good. He is in one of the most competitive positions, but Jones’ experience of two Lions tours, his captaincy potential and his continued huge influence on matches make for an irresistible combination Lions-wise. Sam Warburton The question with Warburton is not so much whether he’s in the squad as whether he’ll be captain. And most of the indications are that he will be. The prospect has already drawn scorn from former England fly-half and outspoken pundit Stuart Barnes, but whatever you make of him as a possible skipper, it’s impossible to begrudge the Blues man his place in the party. Warburton was Wales’ best forward in the Six Nations. The irony, as he prepares to accept the Lions captaincy again, is that relinquishing the role with Wales appeared to galvanise his individual contribution. Taulupe Faletau Injury, and the fine form of Ross Moriarty, ensured that Faletau’s Six Nations was a bit of a non-starter. But you don’t leave someone with his personal stats and reputation for consistent Test match excellence behind. Faletau has an all-round game that make him almost unique as an international No.8 and though his first season at Bath has been spoiled by injuries, he should at least be fresh physically. This fellow has the potential to be the difference in a tight game against the All Blacks and Gatland will not need telling. THE GOOD SHOUTS The following lot are likely to have the most unpleasant morning on Wednesday. They are players who will be quietly confident of selection, but also fully aware that a major disappointment could easily come their way. Liam Williams After his displays against New Zealand last summer for Wales, you’d have had Williams down as a virtual certainty to become a Lion this year. He still has every chance and Gatland will know all about the breathtaking counter-attacking and defensive doggedness the Saracensbound man is capable of. And yet Williams hasn’t really done himself justice this season. By his standards, and despite some nice tries, he was ordinary in the Six Nations and on Scarlets duty he has done little to enhance his credentials. With Halfpenny, Stuart Hogg and Rob Kearney in the full-back mix, Williams is likely to have to target a wing berth. His back three versatility could certainly count in his favour. Jonathan Davies If we were talking about the 2013 version of this guy he’d be one of the first names inked in. But unfortunately, we’re not. Davies, like Halfpenny, was on the upward curve form-wise as the Six Nations progressed but by the end of the tournament he still had some way to go. The straight-angle breaks and sky-high confidence were conspicuous by their absence. Does Gatland trust him to be able to produce his 2013 brilliance, or at least come close to it? The Kiwi doesn’t have any centre superstars to call on, but he does have people like Robbie Henshaw, Jonathan Joseph and Elliot Daly. Davies may be fine, but you wouldn’t put your house on it.