Ugo Monye: Henry Pollock ‘has to get’ British and Irish Lions nod but Sam Prendergast’s ‘worst performance’ has cost him

Ugo Monye says he would have Marcus Smith on the British and Irish Lions tour – but not take Sam Prendergast as one of three specialist fly-halves.

The former Lions wing watched open-mouthed as Northampton Saints beat Leinster in Dublin at the weekend in one of the great Champions Cup upsets.

Monye believes such a seismic shock has to alter the make-up of the playing squad head coach Andy Farrell names in London on Thursday.

Elsewhere, he fears Jack Willis‘ club commitments with Toulouse could count against his selection, unless Farrell has him earmarked as a Test starter.

And that playing division two rugby in France might hurt the chances of Courtney Lawes, even if he has been pulling up trees with Brive all season long.

Lions selection headache

One 80-minute contest, five days out from the squad announcement, has rearranged the Lions selection landscape, according to Monye.

Prior to kick-off at the Aviva Stadium, Leinster were odds-on favourites for the Champions Cup, their stars regarded as Lions shoo-ins, not least because all are so well known and trusted by Farrell, in his other guise as Ireland boss.

Three days on Monye says it is the Saints quartet of Tommy Freeman, Fin Smith, Alex Mitchell and Henry Pollock who must all get boarding tickets for Australia.

“A Champions Cup semi-final, and one of the greatest European victories away from home, just can’t be overlooked,” he said. “It has to count for something.”

In Northampton’s 37-34 triumph Freeman scored a hat-trick, Smith outplayed Prendergast, Mitchell was electric and Pollock produced another jaw-dropping, try-scoring display.

Monye said: “I think Sam Prendergast probably had his worst performance in the last year. If one game doesn’t get you on the tour, then one game shouldn’t get you off it.

“Andy [Farrell] has been a big fan of him, brought him into the squad, gave him the jersey. Sam had a good Six Nations and has had a pretty good year for Leinster.

“But Fin was outstanding at the weekend. He’s not afraid to play and he can play in structure. He’s so consistent. You don’t want your No.10 to go from a nine [out of 10 performance] to a five. Fin is always somewhere in that sweet spot.

“So if I was selecting, I’d take Fin, Finn Russell and George Ford, the closest thing you’ll get to a player-coach. I’d also want Marcus Smith on the plane.”

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The Harlequins star’s fortunes have taken a nose-dive since February. England’s player of the autumn lost his 10 jersey to namesake Fin during the Six Nations, then his club’s form collapsed.

“It can be mad, sport,” said Monye. “Autumn, Marcus was probably England’s best player. Then the first couple of Six Nations games he plays okay, England don’t play well. Fin Smith comes in, fortunes change, Marcus is moved to 15.

“He goes back to Harlequins thinking, ‘Great, I can play 10′. First game back he starts at 10. Rodrigo Isgro goes off for an HIA and he plays 15 for the next 70 minutes.

“Harlequins’ form falls off a cliff. They concede 47 points to Bath, 62 without reply to Leinster, 43 points to Sale and get battered again (40-7) at Leicester.

“For all that, I think he gets selected as a 15, perhaps named as a ‘back-three’ player. It’s all about combinations. Tommy Freeman goes on tour. I’ve got him in my Test team, the other winger is going to be James Lowe.

“I think Blair Kinghorn, fitness permitting, is your number one 15, but that back-three lacks top-end pace, as in Bielle-Biarrey or Kolbe type of pace, and a little bit of creativity. Marcus off the bench would offer that.

“If the Lions do fancy going 6-2 on the bench. I don’t think there’s anyone better for that than Marcus, who can cover 10 and 15. I’m hoping his experience and versatility counts for something. For me, he goes on tour.”

Monye, a 2009 Test Lion, acknowledges that selection is highly subjective and “I very much doubt my squad is going to be the one Andy Farrell selects.”

It feels increasingly likely, however, that they could find consensus over Pollock, Saints’ 20-year old back-row phenom.

“When you can compete like that away from home, not be overawed by the occasion, by the stadium, by all the intangibles that sometimes inhibit players from playing at that level, you have to get the nod,” Monye continued.

“Pollock wasn’t bothered. His first action in the game was to shoulder charge Josh van der Flier off the ball. It was a daft penalty but it was a statement of intent. ‘I’m ready. I’m here, and I won’t wait’. And then the try, and that turnover in the last 10 minutes.”

There is Lions precedent for late changes of mind. In 2017 head coach Warren Gatland chose Jonathan Joseph over Garry Ringrose at the last minute.

So what of Willis, whose form for Toulouse this season has been off the charts despite the champions crashing out of Europe on Sunday? Toulouse’s season might well continue through to June 28.

Tough call regarding Willis

“Jack is one of the best players in Britain and Ireland. By that metric, he goes, and I would want him,” said Monye. “But it’s a tough one.

“You’ve got to think, he is going to come onto tour late, and if he does, is he a Test starter? It’s a big call if you don’t think a person has the potential to be a Test starter, to bring them out two or three weeks late.

“Courtney doesn’t have that issue with the scheduling. With him it depends what you do with Tadhg Beirne. Is Tadhg a second-row or is he a six? If he’s a six, then he does the role of Courtney.

“Then again, we’re talking about a Test centurion and a two-tour British and Irish Lion. I’m not certain on Courtney, but if he’s named him on Thursday, will my mind be blown by that selection? Absolutely not.”

Ugo Monye was speaking on behalf of Genting Casino. For a chance to roar the Lions on in Melbourne and Sydney then head over to Genting Casino LIONS TOUR

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