Warren Gatland has named a solitary Welshman in the Lions XV he would choose today, opting for no fewer than nine Ireland players in the wake of their historic series victory over the All Blacks in New Zealand.
The former Wales coach's starting XV for The Daily Telegraph sees Josh Adams named on the wing, while the only other Welsh representation is Taulupe Faletau on the bench, along with five Englishmen in the team and no Scot selected. Only players who featured in the second and third Tests from the summer tours were eligible.
Explaining his wing deliberations, Gatland admitted he made a mistake in omitting Adams from the first two Tests of last year’s British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa. Adams was omitted from the opening two games against the Springboks last summer despite scoring seven tries in his first three matches on tour. Instead, Scotland’s Duane van der Merwe and England’s Anthony Watson got the nod on the wings.
