Andy Farrell has claimed he was “gutted” to leave out Jac Morgan from his Lions match day 23 to face Australia on Saturday.
It was a difficult coaching decision, but his call has left Wales without a single Test representative for the first time in 126 years.
Morgan’s omission ends a run stretching back to 1899 in which at least one Welshman has featured in every British and Irish Lions Test series against Australia, New Zealand or South Africa.
The absence feels particularly jarring given Wales’ proud Lions legacy, which once saw the likes of Gareth Edwards, Barry John, Phil Bennett and JPR Williams define an era of dominance.
After unveiling his squad for the opening Test in Brisbane, Farrell insisted the Wales and Ospreys openside was in serious contention.
“As close as you could imagine,” he said.
“You're actually gutted for players like that, and Josh [van der Flier] and Henry [Pollock] as well, because they are all playing good rugby and could well easily be in this side on Saturday.
“But I suppose that shows the good place we're at as a group.”
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Farrell’s decision to go with England’s Tom Curry at openside, alongside Irish forwards Tadhg Beirne and Jack Conan, has sparked debate — especially as Beirne, a former Scarlet, will wear the six jersey in a hybrid second-row role.
With Morgan only really covering the No.7 shirt, he was always likely to miss out on a place on the bench.
“That [the back row] is the hotly-contested part of the side that's been talked about for quite some time and rightly so because of the quality that we've got there,” Farrell explained.
“Obviously we feel that that's the right balance for the first Test, the combination of Tadhg being the type of player that he is, as far as his quality in the set-piece, but also his all-round ability either on the floor as a tackler or a ball-playing six, I think, complements Jack also in a similar regard.
“Tom being the engine that we all know that you need in regards to Test-match football.”
The final make-up of the Lions squad includes 11 Irishmen, nine Englishmen and three Scots.
There are none from Wales — a stark contrast to as recently as 2013, when 10 Welsh players started in the decisive win over Australia, or 2021, when six featured in the starting XV in the final Test against South Africa.
Farrell also made bold calls in his backline, selecting a fully Scottish axis of Finn Russell, Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones, with Jamison Gibson-Park and James Lowe flying the Irish flag.
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England’s Tommy Freeman was picked to start on the right wing, while Hugo Keenan replaces the injured Blair Kinghorn at full-back.
His own son, Owen Farrell, was among those left out of the matchday 23.
“[He was] in contention, in regards to 'should he or shouldn't he', like the rest of them,” the coach said.
“We feel like Tuesday [the fixture against a First Nations & Pasifika XV] will be good for someone like Owen.”
There’s uncertainty over whether Mack Hansen or Kinghorn will be ready to feature in that match.
“Mack could be fit for Tuesday, but probably unlikely, same for Blair,” Farrell admitted.
But the historical significance of Wales’ absence has not gone unnoticed, with fans reacting online.
Once central to the Lions’ greatest triumphs — including the legendary 1971 tour of New Zealand — the current state of Welsh rugby paints a more troubling picture.
The recent 18-match losing streak and ongoing structural issues have underlined the game’s struggles and weaknesses both on and off the pitch.
As the Lions prepare to face a Wallabies side featuring debutants Nick Champion de Crespigny and Tom Lynagh — son of 1989 Lions series veteran Michael Lynagh — the absence of Welsh representation feels like a turning point.
While Morgan’s omission may have been tactical, it underscores just how far Wales has drifted from the heart of the Lions set-up and how deep and rapid the decline presided over by the Welsh Rugby Union.
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Where once the red of Wales was always mirrored in the red of Lions, this time there is nothing to stir images of the Carwyn James’ All Blacks-beating 1971 Lions or the invincible 1974 version in South Africa – both of which were packed with Welsh players who were household names.
Now, the only Welshmen in Brisbane on Saturday will be those thousands watching, including Morgan.
For Farrell, the decision was clearly not taken lightly.
But it’s a call that carries a deep symbolism far beyond simply picking the players he feels can win a rugby match.
Australia: Tom Wright; Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Harry Potter; Tom Lynagh, Jake Gordon; James Slipper, Matt Faessler, Allan Alaalatoa, Nick Frost, Jeremy Williams, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson (c).
Replacements: Billy Pollard, Angus Bell, Tom Robertson, Tom Hooper, Carlo Tizzano, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Andrew Kellaway
Lions: Hugo Keenan; Tommy Freeman, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu, James Lowe; Finn Russell, Jamison Gibson-Park; Ellis Genge, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, Maro Itoje (c), Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, Jack Conan.
Replacements: Ronan Kelleher, Andrew Porter, Will Stuart, Ollie Chessum, Ben Earl, Alex Mitchell, Marcus Smith, Bundee Aki.
