Wales players picked to face New Zealand in June are desperate to prove they should return there with the Lions next year, according to Warren Gatland.
The Wales coach – who named his squad on Tuesday to face England and the All Blacks – believes the incentive of a return trip in 2017 will be a huge motivation for Sam Warburton and his teammates.
Wales face England at Twickenham on May 29, before three Tests against the world champions next month. The Lions go back there – where they have not won a series since 1971 – 12 months later.
“The players are extremely excited about the opportunity to go there, not so much only for this tour, but a lot of them are looking at the next 12 months and the experience of being there,” said Gatland, who is favourite to lead the Lions coaching team.
“A lot of them are desperate to want to put their hands up for the following year when the Lions go there. They are all pretty aware how important the side’s performances are and how important individual performances are, given that these players get a huge opportunity over the other home nations in terms of a chance to go to New Zealand 12 months out from a Lions tour.
“If you look back at what happened when we went to South Africa in 2008, a lot of our players were involved on the 2009 Lions tour. The same happened in 2012 before 2013. The players who went on those tours gained a huge amount from getting confidence and understanding the country and the difficulties of touring. It did make a huge difference when they went with the Lions the following year.
“The boys who have been involved in the past are well aware of that and they understand that going to New Zealand and performing well, competing, and, hopefully, winning out there, will give them a huge amount of confidence and put them potentially in contention for what is a big 12 months for these senior players.”
As to whether Gatland himself see this year’s tour as a litmus test for his own appointment in 2017, the New Zealander refuses to be drawn.
He insisted: “I haven’t thought about that at all. But, for everyone this summer tour is really important.”
Warburton, a successful Lions captain three years ago in Australia, is unlikely to be fit to face England because of a shoulder injury.
But Gatland insists his skipper will be fully recovered for the start of the tour and that Alun Wyn Jones should make his return from a foot injury for the game at Twickenham, although he is unlikely to start.
Leigh Halfpenny, who has not played since suffering a knee injury last September, was not considered for the squad, although Wales have placed the Toulon full-back on their stand-by list.
“We just felt that Leigh hasn’t been involved in rugby since September,” said Gatland.
“His return is not too far away. He is doing a little bit of running now, and maybe there is a possibility he will have a few games for Toulon. If we do pick up an injury, there is the potential to perhaps call him in later in the tour.
“We have spoken to Leigh. We have picked a stand-by list. He is a part of that. He is aware of the situation and understands that he does need some games, and he is happy to be considered as part of the stand-by list.”