Ex-Sarries star urges Gatland to snub Welsh
WELSH rugby fans will be thanking their lucky stars Jim Hamilton is nowhere near the Lions selection team for next summer’s three-Test showdown with the Springboks, writes Anthony Woolford.
Because the 63-times former Scotland lock has dismissed the prospects of the 2019 Six Nations Grand Slam winners and World Cup semi-finalists playing a leading role against South Africa.
The Lions XV the ex-Saracens star-turned-TV pundit feels should be chosen for the first Test does not contain a single member of the Wales team from Gatland’s reign.
Hamilton believes there are better candidates for Lions Test selection than the likes of Liam Williams, Jonathan Davies, Alun Wyn Jones, Josh Adams, Justin Tipuric and Taulupe Faletau and outlines the reasons for his choices.
One solitary Welshman does make Hamilton’s English-dominated line-up for the first Test, Nick Tompkins, who he dubs “brilliant” and has been greatly impressed with.
But Tompkins, of course, was handed his Wales debut by Gatland’s successor Wayne Pivac this season. Hamilton is adamant, though, he has already done enough in four Tests to merit Lions selection against the world champions.
Hamilton, 37, has moved into rugby punditry after an excellent career of his own with Scotland, Edinburgh, Gloucester, Leicester, Montpellier and Saracens.
He told RugbyPass of the 25-year-old Tompkins, who made a meteoric rise in international rugby this year in the absence of Gatland midfield stalwart Davies: “I thought he was a young lad, he’s not but he’s burst on to the scene recently for Wales, via England and Saracens.
“This guy is brilliant. In contact we saw him in the Six Nations for Wales setting up that brilliant try against England when they went the length of the field.
“His ability in the contact area... Gats, if he’s not in, maybe not in the XV, but if he’s not in the squad I’m coming for you!”
However, none of Gatland’s own regular Wales stalwarts get a look-in in a Hamilton line-up that has nine English players, three Irishmen, two Scots and the lone Welshman in Tompkins.
Liam Willams held down the No. 15 Lions jersey last time out, but Hamilton feels Scotland skipper Stuart Hogg has the edge.
“Tell me a better 15 than Hogg?” Hamilton told RugbyPass. “He’s gone to Exeter and have you seen the size of him, he’s a monster. This will be his third tour and he deserves it. Keep fit and there is no other man than Stuart Hogg.”