And Then There Were None... Welsh Rugby Reels From Lions Blow

First Test: Australia v British and Irish Lions

Date: Saturday, 19 July Kick-off: 11:00 BST Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

Coverage: Live matter commentary connected nan BBC Sport website and app; unrecorded sum connected BBC Radio Cymru

If yet different motion was needed to item Welsh rugby's autumn from grace, Jac Morgan's omission from nan British and Irish Lions squad for Saturday's first Test against Australia rubs brackish into an already hurtful wound.

The Wales skipper and Ospreys open-side flanker could not person done overmuch much to property his lawsuit pinch beardown performances truthful acold connected tour.

But amid arguably nan astir competitory area coach Andy Farrell has astatine his disposal, Morgan's nonaccomplishment represents a deeper rustle to Wales' rugby psyche and heritage.

He began nan circuit arsenic 1 of only 2 Welshmen connected nan travel and, pinch scrum-half Tomos Williams an early wounded victim, Morgan will now watch from nan stands successful Brisbane.

Tom Curry has been handed nan Lions 7 shirt, pinch 2 much Englishmen - Ollie Chessum and Ben Earl - providing imaginable breakaway screen connected nan bench.

In all, successful nan Lions' matchday 23 location are 11 from Ireland, 9 from England, 3 from Scotland, and nary from Wales for a squad against Australia, New Zealand aliases South Africa for nan first clip since 1896 - an bonzer and damning statistic.

It is simply a acold outcry from nan Carwyn James-inspired heroics of nan 1971 Lions circuit to New Zealand, erstwhile a broadside packed pinch glorious Welsh talent hit nan All Blacks successful a bid for nan only clip successful their history.

That occurrence made life legends retired of iconic Wales stars specified arsenic Delme Thomas, Derek Quinnell, John Taylor, Mervyn Davies, Gareth Edwards, Barry John, Gerald Davies and JPR Williams.

As precocious arsenic 2021, location were six Welshmen successful nan starting XV including skipper Alun Wyn Jones erstwhile nan Lions lost nan last Test against South Africa 19-16 and pinch it nan series. Another, Adam Beard, came disconnected nan chair that day.

And successful 2013, 10 Welshmen started successful nan 41-16 rout that earned a 2-1 bid triumph against nan Wallabies.

But now location are nary astatine a clip erstwhile Wales person only conscionable ended an excruciating 18-match losing run and uncertainty again clouds nan early of nan nation's master tier.

Four years earlier successful New Zealand, Sam Warburton led a broadside including 4 much Welsh starters arsenic they drew pinch nan All Blacks to necktie that series, while successful 2013 Warburton and Jones had led different broadside heavy influenced by Welsh input arsenic they hit Australia 2-1.

Twelve years later, those halcyon days of Welsh rugby - successful which their past coach Warren Gatland was feted - are agelong gone.

Gatland himself became a unfortunate of Wales' demise erstwhile he near nan domiciled midway done nan 2025 Six Nations to bring an extremity to his 2nd stint successful charge.

The penning was connected nan wall for Lions action arsenic Wales continued to navigate caller depths connected nan measurement to their grounds losing streak, culminating successful Morgan and Williams being nan nation's only entries successful Farrell's pre-tour squad.

And while nan reasons for Welsh rugby's plight are hotly debated and its early nan taxable of fevered discussion, history underlines nan federation has been present before, if a agelong clip agone successful nan sport's evolution.

Former Wales and Lions three-quarter Dafydd James says nan deficiency of a Welshman successful nan line-up "says precisely wherever Welsh rugby is and it's worrying".

James, a Lions Test headdress against Australia successful 2001, said: "I didn't deliberation he'd [Morgan] get in, unfortunately, because unless he was going to start, I didn't deliberation they were going to put him connected a bench, which is simply a travesty.

"But conscionable purely connected nan ground of there's truthful galore back-row options there, it didn't look from nan first mates of games that Jac was figuring arsenic his [Farrell's] main seven, which is bitterly disappointing.

"It's sobering and a sad indictment of nan measurement nan crippled has gone successful Wales. Only 2 players being selected is hard, and you'd person to opportunity connected nan backmost of 18 losses we were ever going to beryllium up against it trying to get galore much players.

"I thought location mightiness person been 4 going connected nan tour, and we'd beryllium successful pinch a chance [of players successful nan Test XV].

"And I thought pinch Williams, who started his run connected nan Lions tour, he was looking sharp.

"He was astir apt my extremity for starting nine, but unluckily he pulled a hamstring and past Jac stood up. He didn't really fig that overmuch successful nan Argentina game, but that could beryllium conscionable a small spot rusty, not knowing nan squad members astir you.

"And past he had an exceptional crippled wherever he had a man of nan lucifer capacity and put himself backmost successful contention.

"I would person picked him personally, but I'm conscionable reference betwixt nan lines he [Farrell] seems to favour Curry, [Josh] Van der Flier and evidently [Henry] Pollock."

Centre Tom Shanklin was a Lion successful 2005 successful New Zealand and was selected again successful 2009 but missed nan circuit to South Africa owed to injury.

"It's a merchandise of what is happening successful Welsh rugby correct now," said nan Grand Slam winner.

"Perhaps our champion dream of a Test starter (Tomos Williams) sewage injured early connected but I still deliberation it's reliable connected Jac because I had him successful my starting squad and truthful did galore others.

"He has been nan Lions champion performer astatine nan breakdown and they're going to request that, but nan backmost statement is truthful competitory and it appears Farrell has gone much for size and power.

"But it's still a sad reflection of wherever Wales are correct now. Even backmost successful nan nineties erstwhile Wales were not winning championships we still had outstanding individuals for illustration Allan Bateman, Scott Gibbs and Neil Jenkins who could operation it pinch nan best.

"We don't person capable subordinate for illustration Jac Morgans aliases Tomos Williams.

"However, I still deliberation there's a chance for Jac this series. History shows america nan Lions squad for nan first Test usually looks very different to nan last."

Allan Martin, a goal-kicking fastener from Aberavon who toured New Zealand successful 1977 and South Africa 3 years later pinch nan Lions, besides bemoans nan authorities of nan crippled successful Wales, saying nan debased practice is "just an denotation of wherever we are".

But he believes Morgan had done capable to beryllium named successful nan starting XV for nan first Test.

"I can't spot that Curry is immoderate amended than Jac Morgan. His power is up location and he is keeping up a very precocious level of performance. At nan breakdown he is perfectly brilliant," Martin said.

"But each coach is different and Farrell sees it his way."

However, moreover successful Morgan's absence, Martin expects nan Lions to comfortably spot disconnected nan Wallabies, while being adamant that nan Welshman and nan circuit party's youngest member, Pollock, "are nan early of nan Lions".

"I deliberation they will springiness nan Aussies a spot of a crushing, 3-0 successful nan series. Hopefully a fewer of them will beryllium astir to spell to South Africa and New Zealand to trial these players out," Martin added.

"Pollock and him are nan early of nan Lions and we person to support nan Lions going."