Lions Selector Panel–Epilogue (WAL)

Warren G has spoken – @HywelV2 has been giving us his predictions every 4 weeks throughout the season, here’s how he sees the squad.

Well flip me with a fish fork as they almost say. Gatland is the master ambush selector and his squad has not disappointed in talking points.

I'll start by saying I'm happy with the backs. But you're a Welshman I hear you exclaim, you love outside halves, why are there only two!

The answer to that my friends is that there aren't. There is an unannounced A.N. Other in this squad. Gatland had said he would take an utility back who could cover at outside half. That is Farell. He hasn't announced his second outside half to go with Sexton yet.

This is not conspiracy theory, he said he didn't want players who would be involved in the French domestic final. He is waiting on Wilkinson. If Toulon get knocked out in the play offs there will be a "shock" announcement. Sir Johnny of 'Tdropgoal will be the 38th man. The BBC will be happy. If not it will be Biggar or Madigan; and I would suggest that either's inclusion would be the far more newsworthy event.

Turning to the forwards. This is where I lose our Warren.

He was a rough, tough hooker as a player. The sort of man you would expect to 'get' the front five instinctively. Yes he plays a formulaic game, yes he was a great coach of Wasps in the English set up where he developed "Gatlandball". If I had to put the mortgage on English forwards that fitted his style of play they would be Launchberry and Wood. Both are omitted.

We then turn to Stevens, Hartley, Parling and Croft. Nothing in Gatland's Wasps or Wales selections explains to me why these players got into his squad. They don't fit his mould. Which begs the question, is this his squad?

Brian Moore's instant reaction was that Gatland "had earned our trust". There was a genuine concern that Wales would dominate the squad or that Scotland would not be represented over tokenism. It seems that he has avoided that. Is it though a ploy, or has he done it at the behest of those who put him where he is. Either way I am shocked that players like Ryan, Grant, James and Brown have lost out.

People are saying that injuries will alter the squad. Of course, but what if the wrong lads get injured...
So, anyway, here is my predicted first test XXIII from the Gatland squad

15 Leigh Halfpenny (Wales)
14 Tommy Bowe (Ireland)
13 Manu Tuilagi (England)
12 Jamie Roberts (Wales)
11 George North (Wales)
10 Jonathan Sexton (Ireland)
9 Mike Phillips (Wales)
1 Gethin Jenkins (Wales)
2 Richard Hibbard (Wales)
3 Adam Jones (Wales)
4 Alun-Wyn Jones (Wales)
5 Richie Gray (Scotland)
6 Sean O'Brien (Ireland)
8 Toby Faletau (Wales)
7 Sam Warburton (Wales, captain)

16 Cian Healy (Ireland) 17 Dylan Hartley (England) 18 Dan Cole (England) 19 Paul O'Connell (Ireland) 20 Tom Croft (England) 21 Conor Murray (Ireland) 22 Owen Farrell (England) 23 Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland)

Hywel (@HywelV2) is head Rugby writer on the v2 Journal. A bundle of contradictions, he is a Solicitor and Farmer, a Scarlets supporter and a "conservative, forward orientated typical blydi prop".