Former England wing Ugo Monye is a well-respected pundit
16:37, 06 May 2025Updated 16:43, 06 May 2025
Rugby commentator Ugo Monye(Image: PA Wire)
Former England wing Ugo Monye has singled out four Welsh players he believes are worthy of a place on this summer’s British & Irish Lions tour of Australia.
Andy Farrell will name his Lions squad on Thursday but Wales are very likely to have their lowest representation since 1993 due to their lowly form. Wales might have slumped to a record 17-straight defeats but Monye is adamant there are quality Welsh players who deserve a place on the tour.
“I think there’s some outstanding players in that Wales squad despite national performances,” Monye told WalesOnline. “It’s hard to look past the captain Jac Morgan.
“I think he’s brilliant but the backrow is the most competitive area of selection for Andy Farrell. Everyone he picks you’ll all nod your head and agree with and anyone who is not selected you’ll be thinking, ‘well, you are Lions quality’.
“I’m interested not just to see the selection but also the squad size. I think Dewi Lake’s late return in the Six Nations, his size, his quality and his leadership quality is impressive. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
“I think they are two standout players who are front and centre of that Welsh contingent. Then you can argue for Dafydd Jenkins as well and I think Tomos Williams has to go.
“So, I’ve named four. I don’t think many people can argue with that but they absolutely will.”
Monye – who toured with the Lions to South Africa in 2009 – has also been hugely impressed with Scarlets and Wales full-back Blair Murray who he sees as a bolter for the tour.
“If we are just going by form in the Six Nations I think he was one of the best attacking full-backs and it’s not like loads were created for him and Wales scored lots of tries,” said Monye.
“His counter-attacking threat – how did he not score a hat-trick against England on the final day?
“It took a tap tackle from Luke Cowan-Dickie and the bounce of the ball. He was unfortunate but what he possesses and what he can show gets people on the edge of their seats.
“He’s extremely exciting. Anyone who is in the conversation it is quite clearly because they are a good player and by not being selected it’s not because you are not a good player.
“It could come down to style and experience.
“If he was selected on Thursday I wouldn’t be going ‘where on earth did that come from?’ He’s a top player and a top operator.”
Welsh rugby has hit rock bottom with a record losing run prompting Warren Gatland to stand aside with the WRU now looking for a new head coach.
But Monye believes there are some green shoots for Wales. Join WalesOnline Rugby’s WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free
“I know there’s been numerous reviews over the last couple of seasons whether that be the autumn or the Six Nations,” he said.
“It’s often darkest before the dawn. Hopefully it is a period you look back on and say ‘OK, that’s our ground zero’.
“We are at a point now where it feels like Abi Tierney and that executive team are truly looking at everything.
“It was reported a couple of weeks ago about the cost of flowers being spent at the Principality Stadium.
“Whilst that number was extraordinary (£50k) they are looking at the detail. Everything is coming under scrutiny.
“The fact they are even looking at how much they are spending on flowers that should give hope that they are taking this extraordinarily seriously and looking at every single detail.
“It is heartening to know that they’ve found a director of rugby in Dave Reddin and they’ll appoint a new coach soon. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here.
“You’ve got an exciting tour of Japan this summer and hopefully that brings a level of positivity and they can build some wins to get some confidence.
“Every nation and maybe we have short termism in sport but every nation has gone through this. Maybe not to the same extreme but every nation has had that dip.”
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