When the British & Irish Lions last won a Test series in 2013, Leigh Halfpenny scored a record 49 points and fellow Wales international Sam Warburton captained the side to glory in Australia with Warren Gatland coaching. Twelve years on, for the first time since 1896, not a single Welsh player will be represented in the Lions’ matchday squad for Saturday’s first Test in Brisbane.
Jac Morgan’s omission is a sign of rugby’s decline in Wales in recent years, a far cry from the glorious 1970s when household names like Gareth Edwards, Barry John and JPR Williams were indispensable figures.
There was always a distinct possibility of a Welsh wipeout though, with scrum-half Tomos Williams, one of only two Wales players on the plane to Australia, already out with a torn hamstring. However, the Lions coach, Andy Farrell, refused to play into the narrative, claiming Morgan was “as close as you could imagine” to getting selected.
“Look, you’re gutted for players like that and Josh [van der Flier] as well, and Henry [Pollock] as well, because they’re playing good rugby and could easily be in this side on Saturday,” Farrell said. “But I suppose that shows the good place we’re at as a group.”
With Morgan sidelined, Tom Curry has been handed the No 7 jersey. There are 11 players from Ireland, nine from England and three from Scotland in the Lions’ matchday 23. It’s a poor reflection of Welsh rugby, especially given the heroics of the 1971 Lions tour to New Zealand when a team packed with Welsh talent such as the aforementioned trio famously earned their only series win over the All Blacks.
Even on the most recent tour in 2021 six Welshmen, led by captain Alun Wyn Jones, started the final Test against South Africa, ending in a 19-16 defeat, with Welsh fly-half Dan Biggar emerging as the top points scorer that year. On the past seven Lions tours dating back to 1997, five Welsh players (Neil Jenkins, Stephen Jones (twice), Halfpenny and Biggar) were the top Test points scorers.
Since then, the drop off has been steep. Wales have only just halted a dismal 18-game losing streak, while the Welsh Rugby Union is considering reducing funding for their teams over sustainability concerns. It is undeniable that the halcyon days are long gone, although Farrell said he based his decision on individual performances.
“Honestly, as far as selection is concerned, we can’t get involved in that because you take every individual as it is. Who deserves to get picked,” he said. “It just so happens that Jac was unbelievably close and in great form so there’s not much more he could have done.”
The former Wales and Lions player Dafydd James expressed concern at the lack of Welsh representation, describing it as “a travesty”. He told the BBC: “It’s sobering and a sad indictment of the way the game has gone in Wales. Only two players being selected is hard, and you’d have to say on the back of 18 losses we were always going to be up against it trying to get many more players.”
The former centre Tom Shanklin, who played for the Lions in New Zealand in 2005, said the situation was a product of what is currently happening in Welsh rugby: “Even back in the 90s when Wales were not winning championships we still had outstanding individuals like Allan Bateman, Scott Gibbs and Neil Jenkins who could mix it with the best. We don’t have enough players like Jac Morgan or Tomos Williams.”
