But Australia had fully justified the decision to let them host a Lions tour.
BBC: SPORT | Rugby Union | Lions in NZ | History of the Lions: Australia 1989
But Lewsey is still hoping to make next year's Lions tour to South Africa.
The 34-year-old needed shoulder surgery following a bruising summer British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa.
He is behind Stephen Jones in Wales' pecking order and missed out on the Lions tour to South Africa.
De Villiers believes the British tour will play a key part in the Springboks' preparations for the Lions tour.
The captain is so important on so many fronts on any Lions tour.
Vickery, who toured with the Welsh trio on the 2009 Lions tour, said Wales' platform are among the world's finest.
Shanklin misses the Lions tour as he needs reconstructive surgery on his shoulder that will keep him out for 16 weeks.
It is the latest in a string of injury problems to affect Henson since the Lions tour to New Zealand in 2005.
Moreover, the strength of the other British nations better enables English players to carry a genuine threat down under when the Lions tour.
Rees, who has 39 Wales caps to his name, was something of a surprise choice for last year's Lions tour to South Africa.
BBC: Neil Jenkins hails 'awesome' Wales captain Matthew Rees
Croft, a star of the Lions tour 12 months ago, returns to the back row after missing the Six Nations with a knee injury.
"The reason we don't have many is because the national team has under-achieved, " added Telfer, who assisted McGeechan on the victorious Lions tour of 1997.
The injury means Abbott will miss the entire Six Nations, the rest of Wasps' domestic season and the British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand.
BBC: SPORT | Rugby Union | Internationals | Abbott targets England comeback
The Durham paceman will leave the England Lions tour of the Caribbean to join Andrew Strauss' men ahead of the seventh ODI in Perth on Sunday.
Since the 2005 Lions tour to New Zealand a series of injuries coupled with a loss of form have seen Henson win just six Wales caps.
The 64-cap scrum-half started all three Tests of the 2005 Lions tour in New Zealand and will be hoping to make this year's trip to South Africa.
The 21-year-old, still on stand-by for the Lions tour, has overcome a serious ankle injury but was omitted by England boss Martin Johnson on grounds of form.
Uttley was an emerging force at international level when he arrived in South Africa for the 1974 Lions tour, but forged his reputation in their historic victory.
Henson, 26, has suffered a string of injuries and with it a predictable loss of form since winning a place on the 2005 Lions tour to New Zealand.
His performances earned Robinson a place on the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia later that year, scoring on his full debut in the first Test victory in Brisbane.
His second Lions tour, in 2001, was ended early on by a serious knee injury which required reconstructive surgery, but two years later came the finest moment in a glittering career.
Ospreys back-rower Jones was also left out of the 2005 Lions tour of New Zealand before being called up as a replacement, and McGeechan said he had shown his worth then.
He definitely has the measure of them, he just needs to execute and if he can find the form he produced on the Lions tour in 2001 then be prepared for fireworks.
Gatland will need to consider whether to rest veteran Shane Williams, who has had an impressive season off the back of last summer's gruelling British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa.
Mr Maynard, the son of former England and Glamorgan batsman Matthew Maynard, earned himself a place on the England Lions tour to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka at the start of last year.
Ryan Jones leads a party including Stephen Jones, Adam Jones and Roberts, who have all had a long season in the wake of last summer's British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa.
Martyn Williams, Ronan O'Gara and Simon Shaw are all are on their third Lions tour, while Shane Williams, Andrew Sheridan and O'Connell, plus replacements Stephen Jones and Phil Vickery, are on their second.
"Delon Armitage has gone from trying to get into the Saxons team to being a candidate for the Lions tour and on Saturday will start his 10th Test in one year, " he said.
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