Shanklin gamble pays rich returns

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Wales centre Tom Shanklin today admitted he gambled his rugby career by quitting Saracens. But that "leap of faith" has earned him a Grand Slam winner's medal and a place on the Lions tour to New Zealand.

Shanklin was an outside bet for Sir Clive Woodward's 44-strong tour party to be announced on 11 April. However, an outstanding display to eclipse Brian O'Driscoll, the Lions captain designate, as Wales claimed a Six Nations clean sweep with a 32-20 win in Cardiff has changed the midfield pecking order.

He initially resisted calls from the Welsh Rugby Union to return home but eventually signed for Cardiff in 2003. Now he is a serious contender for a Test place, let alone a seat on the plane to Auckland in May.

He said: "It was a gamble because I had another year left on my Sarries contract but I had played for Wales a few times and was in and out of the side. I thought the best option to get a regular start was to move to Cardiff. It was a leap of faith that paid off.

"We have had one great season and it will be up to us to produce it again. Two years ago we didn't win a game in the Championship. We played five massive games and won them all, so we deserve to enjoy this moment."

The final weekend of an extraordinary Six Nations Championship left Woodward with some serious problems. The failure of Ireland to play to their potential against France and Wales will reduce their contingent on the Lions tour, while the Welsh triumph has ensured they will be pushing England for the greatest representation.

Welsh heroes like Stephen Jones, Gethin Jenkins, Gavin Henson, Dwayne Peel and the underrated captain Michael Owen will tour, and other members of the team are pushing hard for recognition.

However, not even another hugely impressive display from Jones could keep the injured Jonny Wilkinson out of the equation.

While Woodward last night insisted there would be no free ride for Wilkinson, it will only take a favourable medical report before 11 April to settle the argument. Woodward said: "I have spoken to Jonny and he is very confident. It's very straight forward - if he is fit, he will go. There is no point taking him unless he is 100 per cent fit.

" We have a game against Argentina before we leave, and it will be good for players like Jonny to take part in that match. I would like to pencil in Jonny and Gareth Thomas, of Wales, before we leave the country. I have decided about the captain and I have been thinking about one or two people.

"There will be a lot of Welshmen there, I am sure."

With Wales and England set to dominate the tour party, it leaves Ireland and Scotland to hope that Woodward remembers their Autumn international form.

Irish locks Malcolm O'Kelly and Paul O'Connell will go, along with O'Driscoll and Wasps flanker Jonny O'Connor, while the injured Gordon D'Arcy deserves to tour. Scotland can expect to have captain Gordon Bulloch, flankers Simon Taylor and Jason White plus scrum-half Chris Cusiter on the plane. But there are serious doubts over Chris Patterson's ability to handle the physical threat posed by the All Blacks.

The hype around Wales has already claimed a first victim, with Henson losing sight of the fact that the Welsh teams of the 1970s repeatedly won the big prizes to earn their places in the Hall of Fame.

"I should imagine we will be superstars and legends now," said Henson, who may want to reconsider his words. "It is definitely the beginning - it's a young enough squad, isn't it?

"We deserve this Six Nations title because we played the best rugby."

Meanwhile, the International Rugby Board have presented the United Nations World Food Programme with £1.74million raised from the tsunami aid match at Twickenham.

 

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