Jac Morgan should start in the No.7 jersey for the British and Irish Lions’ Test series against Australia, according to coaching legend Sir Ian McGeechan.
Wales captain Morgan sat out the Lions’ unconvincing 36-24 victory over the ACT Brumbies in Canberra on Wednesdy.
The Ospreys flanker had been overlooked in favour of Tom Curry in what many pundits felt was a shadow Test side in preparation to face the Wallabies on July 19.
But Curry was hot and cold – before he was replaced by another Test contender, Josh van der Flier - and now McGeechan feels the better bet to play at openside in the first Test is Morgan.
“I think 7 is going to be an interesting choice because I think there's something there that just needs to be nailed,” McGeechan told Sky Sports.
“I'd be tempted to be going Jack Morgan.
“He had that intensity and game involvement when he played at 7. I think they will then stick with a big 6, Ollie Chessum, because they have to put pressure on at the line-out.”
Fellow pundit and former Wales and Lions captain Sam Warburton confirmed he would also go for Morgan – the only surviving Welshman in the squad - and referred to the back rower as “my guy.”
Curry was certainly not the only player in red who failed to convince as the Lions conceded four tries, even though the tourists managed five themselves.
The Lions forwards as a whole showed impressive power in flashes, but were regularly bogged down at the breakdown and their handling was no more than average.
Morgan has played three games so far and looked the most likely option to provide the Lions with vital continuity at the breakdown when they meet the more streetwise Wallabies.
It’s that area of speedy ball retention at the breakdown that Warburton thinks the Lions have to focus on.
“Let's imagine we're the Aussies now, just sat down watching that, and you're going to think every team who goes for them at the breakdown is getting really good success.
“The Wallabies will be thinking, let's take their attacking breakdown away from them and let's really challenge their line-out - where teams haven't really challenged them until now -and we are going to cause headaches for the Lions.”
British and Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell, speaking to Sky Sports, admitted his tourists still have plenty of room for improvement.
“It was the same as the other games,” he said.
“There was some really good stuff, especially in the first half when there was some nice flowing attacking play played at a nice tempo.
"But we kept them in the game. We kept them in with a sniff, especially by being held up three times over the tryline.
Blair Kinghorn's knee injury marred the patchy win but Farrell insisted it did not seem serious.
The Lions had to work for their win over a depleted Brumbies team, some of whose best players were absent at Australia's training camp.
Kinghorn came off early in the first half and spent the rest of the match icing his left knee.
Losing Kinghorn would pose problems for Farrell ahead of the first Wallabies test on July 19, given he is already without utility back Elliot Daly for the three-match series.
Asked after the match if he feared the worst for Kinghorn, Farrell said, "No".
The fullback had been singing on the bed where staff were assessing him, he said.
"He got a bang on the knee. He carried on for quite a bit but there was no need to keep him going ... he's in good spirits."
Marcus Smith, who came on for Kinghorn, performed well, scoring one of the Lions' five tries.
"He had some really nice touches," Farrell said. "He's dangerous with the ball in hand. It's good learnings for him."
