But the World Cup winner singled out Thomas for special praise after spending a week with the Wales squad before their clash against New Zealand last month. And with the captaincy for next June’s tour still up for grabs, Woodward confirmed Wales’ record try scorer was “most definitely” in the running to be handed the honour.
“At this stage I don’t really want to start naming individuals but Gareth Thomas’s leadership qualities really stood out during my week with Wales,” said Woodward. “The captain will not be named until we name the entire squad sometime in April, but Gareth is definitely in the running for the job.
“He is a special player and did an outstanding job during the Autumn Internationals, especially against New Zealand and South Africa.
“However all four countries have good captains who could all do the job. Andy Robinson has spoken very highly of Jason Robinson as Eddie O’Sullivan has of Brian O’Driscoll and Paul O’Connell. Simon Taylor of Scotland is also an outstanding player.”
Leading the British and Irish Lions would be a remarkable achievement for 30-year-old Thomas who has only captained his country four times in his career. The first was against Ireland during the Six Nations before taking over full-time for the Autumn Series.
Thomas would be the first Welshman to captain the British Lions Test team in almost 30 years since Phil Bennett lead the 1977 tour to New Zealand and Fiji. John Dawes is the only other Welshman to have enjoyed that honour, six years earlier.
“It’s a very important decision because the captain’s leadership qualities are vital for the unity of a squad of players from four different countries,” said Woodward. “Whoever is chosen will be chosen on merit. However first they must earn their place and to do so they will have to prove themselves during the Six Nations. That is where players will have to prove themselves if they want to be a part of what we hope will be a successful British Lions tour.
“This season is going to be one of the most competitive we have ever seen given the strides that all the teams have made. I was certainly impressed with what I saw in Wales. There are a lot of talented young players in that squad and it was great to be able to stand at the back of the room during that week before the All Blacks game.”
