IT MAKES FOR a refreshing change to talk to a former British & Irish Lion and not hear 20 Irish names when it comes to squad selections.
Granted, Lewis Moody is a proud Englishman and he closely follows the Premiership – when he is not running ultra marathons in The Yukon – but he makes a lot of sense.
While Irish supporters and pundits have been touting the surnames of Zebo, Ryan, Madigan, O’Connell, Bowe, O’Mahony and Gilroy in recent weeks, Moody has a different view on Warren Gatland’s big selection calls.
He told TheScore.ie, “The pressure is on now and the biggest part over the next couple of weekends will be seeing the hopefuls going up against each other in league and European matches. The injured players, coming back, have been given the latter stages of the Heineken Cup to prove themselves.
“Tom Croft is coming back, Dan Lydiate is coming back. Ben Foden will be hoping to make his mark but he’ll probably miss out.
You can Paul O’Connell, since he came back, and how desperate he is to perform. He has done well, should travel, and may be captain. However, the number of high quality players that will miss out will be staggering.”
When it comes to ‘bolters’, uncapped or recently capped players that earn surprise inclusion, Moody mentions Kyle Eastmond [Bath] and Joel Tomkins [Saracens] before settling on Wasps winger Christian Wade as the ‘best outside bet’.
Winger Christian Wade scored two tries against Leinster in the Amlin Cup. (©INPHO/Dan Sheridan)
Gatland will name his touring squad on 30 April in London. Moody feels it will contain a swathe of Welsh players as the New Zealander has built up a close working relationship with so many of the players that have reached a World Cup semi-final and, under the caretaker management of Rob Howley, won this year’s Six Nations.
The former Leicester Tigers back-row is certain that the squad to tour Hong Kong and Australia will feature veterans from past Lions tours.
Moody told TheScore.ie, “Gatland will always consider any player that is playing well at the moment. Johnny Wilkinson is Mr Consistency and a proven match-winner so he will be discussed, I’m sure.
“If you had asked me that question a couple of months ago, I’d say no chance but he has done well for Toulon. Still, I think the battle for 10 will be between Owen Farrell and Jonathan Sexton.” He added:
I think Brian O’Driscoll will go. The manner in which he plays the game, and goes about himself, is very professional. Gatland has spoken about appointing a tour captain and Brian would fit perfectly into the role without having to start each Test.
However, if he is playing well when they reach Australia he will be in the team.”
Turning to other captaincy candidates, Moody said, “If you had told me a year ago that Warburton would not be Lions captain and he would be on the bench during the Six Nations, I would have said you were mad.
“Who else will stand their hand up to be captain? You look at the countries and Kelly Brown is just into the role, Jamie Heaslip has not been playing particularly well but Chris Robshaw has.
“Gatland has O’Connell and O’Driscoll to call on too and it would not surprise me if he went with either of them.”
