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Wales star receives shock Lions captaincy endorsement from Eddie Jones
By Josh Raisey
Eddie Jones has overlooked many of the favourites to lead the British and Irish Lions later this year by opting for Wales captain Jac Morgan as his preferred choice to skipper the side.
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Ahead of a series where few Welshmen are expected to be picked, the former England boss likes the look of the flanker ahead of the leading contenders such as Ireland skipper Caelan Doris, Maro Itoje or Sione Tuipulotu.
In what has been a dismal year for Wales, which resulted in head coach Warren Gatland leaving his role this week, the 25-year-old has been one of their shining lights. His work-rate either side of the ball has been exemplary this Guinness Six Nations so far, and he remains the leading candidate from the Welsh contingent to make Andy Farrell’s Lions squad.
But Jones would go a step further, and make him captain.
“I like the Welsh captain,” the 65-year-old said on the Stick to Rugby podcast when asked by David Flatman who he’d pick as Lions captain. “He’s got a bit of go about him. He’s a good player.”
With that said, the Australian is not expecting many Welsh players to make the squad. That is part of the reason why he said he would be “worried” if he were the Lions coach, as there is an apparent disparity between the four nations currently, but a need to have “diversity” for the tour to work.
“I think it’s going to be a great series, mate,” he said. “Because you look at the Six Nations now and I’d be worried if I were the Lions coach.
“With all due respect to Wales, there’s probably not going to be many players from there, so you’re picking from three teams. You’ve got England not in the top tier, so it falls very much on the Irish. And the Lions need a bit of diversity about them. If it’s just the Ireland team or just the England team, it doesn’t quite work with the Lions.”
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The problem is that because Wales are performing so badly, we don’t know how good of a captain her really is. It is all very well leading from the front and putting in monster performances, but can you get the small details right when a game is in the balance. A kick to the corner or 3 points, a gentle word in a refs ear about the loose head boring in the scrum. Jac Morgan doesn’t get much experience of these little intricate details because his side are being pumped every game. Never-ending the fact that he isn’t an automatic pick at 7. JvdF, Rory Darge, Ben Earl & Tom Curry will all have a say in that.
Its about the four teams coming together and making something a lot stronger. I wouldn’t be adverse to the diversity idea. I don’t have an idea of making Morgan captain with that principle in mind. The issue his how poor Wales are and Morgan’s ability to lead a team of that technical quality.
hmmm