For the first time since 1899, the British & Irish Lions will field a side without a single Wales player involved when they take to the field against the Brumbies.

It is over a century since Gwyn Nichols, a centre and the sole Welsh tourist to Australia, missed two games (stat Oval/Russ Petty). Since then, the Lions have always had at least one Welsh player in the squad on Test-playing tours.

Read more: How to watch the British & Irish Lions v Brumbies wherever you are

Why is there no Wales player in the British & Irish Lions team?

Nichols did not play against Mount Morgan on 11 July or New England on 25 July, the latter of which 126 years’ ago is thought to be the last time Wales were denied any Lions representation.

However, there were also no Welsh representatives on trips to Argentina in 1910, 1927 and 1936 when no Tests were played.

Andy Farrell only named two Wales players in his initial 38-man squad, picking Ospreys flanker and national captain Jac Morgan along with Gloucester scrum-half Tomos Williams, the Gallagher Premiership Player of the Year.

Williams scored two tries against Western Force in the tour opener down under but in the process of finishing his double, he picked up a hamstring injury which prematurely ended his trip to Australia. Ben White was called up from Scotland in his place.

While Morgan has also excelled on-field, putting in a sterling Man of the Match performance against Queensland Reds, he is not included in the matchday 23 in Canberra to face Super Rugby’s best Australian side.

The Brumbies made it to the Super Rugby Pacific semi-finals this year and it is widely thought that the side Farrell has picked for Wednesday’s clash is a dry run for the team that will take on the Wallabies in the first Test in Brisbane in ten days’ time.

Download the digital edition of Rugby World straight to your tablet or subscribe to the print edition to get the magazine delivered to your door.

Follow Rugby World on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter/X.