NEWCASTLE Emlyn’s Gareth Davies has been selected for the 37-man British and Irish Lions squad to tour South Africa this Summer.
The squad to face the Springboks was finally unveiled today after the tour captain was confirmed to be Wales skipper Alun Wyn Jones.
Former Wales coach Warren Gatland selected Davies and nine other Welshmen for the traveling party after the Dragons were crowned Six Nations champions earlier this year.
The 10 are Josh Adams, Alun Wyn Jones, Dan Biggar, Gareth Davies, Liam Williams, Taulupe Faletau, Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric, Louis Rees-Zammit and Ken Owens.
Davies, who was educated at Ysgol Dyffryn Teifi in Llandysul, made his debut for Wales against South Africa in 2014 and was called up as cover for the 2017 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand.
The 30-year-old joined the Scarlets Academy in 2006 and is still at the club.
A regular in the Wales No. 9 jersey and first choice at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, he is regarded as one of the most dangerous attacking scrum-halves in the European game.
Gatland said following the squad’s unveiling: “We saw some outstanding performance in the recent Six Nations, so competition for places has been tough with some incredibly tight calls to make.
“However, we are very happy with the squad we have assembled and look forward to meeting up in Jersey in just over a month’s time to start our preparation to take on the World Champions.
"We’ve left out some very talented players which gives an indication to the strength of this squad and we know how important that stand-by list will be.
“Being selected for a Lions Tour is the greatest honour for a British and Irish player and I congratulate everyone named today.”
The official Lions 2021 squad:
Backs: Josh Adams (Cardiff Rugby, Wales), Bundee Aki (Connacht Rugby, Ireland), Dan Biggar (Northampton Saints, Wales), Elliot Daly (Saracens, England), Gareth Davies (Scarlets, Wales), Owen Farrell (Saracens, England), Chris Harris (Gloucester Rugby, Scotland), Robbie Henshaw (Leinster Rugby, Ireland), Stuart Hogg (Exeter Chiefs, Scotland), Conor Murray (Munster Rugby, Ireland), Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors, Scotland), Louis Rees-Zammit (Gloucester Rugby, Wales), Finn Russell (Racing 92, Scotland), Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby, Scotland), Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby, England), Liam Williams (Scarlets, Wales).
Forwards: Tadhg Beirne (Munster Rugby, Ireland), Jack Conan (Leinster Rugby, Ireland), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, England), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, England), Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors, Scotland), Taulupe Faletau (Bath Rugby, Wales), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster Rugby, Ireland), Jamie George (Saracens, England), Iain Henderson (Ulster Rugby, Ireland), Jonny Hill (Exeter Chiefs, England), Maro Itoje (Saracens, England), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys, Wales) (Captain), Wyn Jones (Scarlets, Wales), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, England), Ken Owens (Scarlets, Wales), Andrew Porter (Leinster Rugby, Ireland), Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs, England), Rory Sutherland (Edinburgh Rugby, Scotland), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys, Wales), Mako Vunipola (Saracens, England), Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby, Scotland).