Sam Warburton believes Jac Morgan enhanced his prospects of being selected for the British and Irish Lions Test opener with Australia following a sterling performance against Queensland Reds.
The Ospreys and Wales forward was handed his second start of the tour having played from the outset in the opener against Argentina in Dublin.
And he grasped his opportunity to impress head coach Andy Farrell with both hands at the Suncorp Stadium as he barreled over the whitewash in the 56th minute to score his first ever Lions try.
He ended the contest having made nine carries, 21 tackles while also making 49 metres in front of the 46,435-strong crowd.
The 25-year-old also won three three turnovers as he was named player of the match.
And ex-Wales international Warburton could not hide his delight with Morgan's showing.
"Welsh fans are holding their breath every time he's involved in a contact situation, being the only Welshman on tour," said former Lions captain Warburton.
"That race to seven is still fascinating, I still think it's wide open, but a big performance from Jac Morgan today."
Following a competitive start in Brisbane, the Lions ran in eight tries to come from 12-7 down with just shy of 30 minutes on the clock to win 52-12, earning a second successive win in doing so having beaten Western Force four days earlier.
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Warburton's former international team-mate Dan Biggar says Morgan has piled the pressure on his back-row competition following a stellar showing on Wednesday.
"He's been excellent, Jac Morgan," said the former fly-half.
"He's played in a poor Welsh team for the last 12 months or so but he's stood out with his work-rate and his ability to steal ball at the breakdown.
"The race for seven is right on, but he's been exceptional tonight and he's puts a ton of pressure on the guys playing on Saturday."
Morgan's performance was a timely boost for the Welsh public following the crushing news that Tomos Williams would play no further part on the tour.
The scrum-half scored two tries in the Lions' emphatic victory against Western Force on Saturday but sustained a hamstring injury to bring an end to his summer with Farrell's side.
And speaking shotly after Morgan touched down for the Lions' fifth try, Ireland legend Ronan O'Gara admitted the forward's score will have given those in Wales a huge lift.
"I think that's wonderful, with the unfortunate news of Tomos Williams going back to Wales this week," said O'Gara.
"It's (Wales) a country that, when I used to play against them, they were unbelievably difficult to beat.
"They bring so much because the Welsh are usually the best tourists and you get memories for life going with them.
"To see the Welshman score, I think it's a very fitting moment for him and his family."
Morgan was typically reserved in his post-match interview with Sky Sports having been announced as the player of the match - with the Welshman swiftly switching his focus to the remainder of the tour.
"In all fairness, they (Reds) were very physical today. It was a tough match so it was good to get the win," said Morgan.
"It was a full team performance. We spoke about how it'd take a full 80 minutes and that's something that we did.
"We'll keep building now, look ahead to Sydney and learn from things."
The Lions return to action against the Waratahs at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday.
The opening Test with Australia takes place on Saturday, July 19.
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