Leigh Halfpenny (far left) and his five fellow Cardiff Blues and Lions team-mates

Blues and Wales winger Leigh Halfpenny targeted a Lions Test spot after his surprise call-up for the summer tour.

"On tour the one thing you'll want is to get that Test jersey on," said the 20-year-old, the youngest Welsh Lion since Keith Jarrett in 1968.

"On my first cap for Wales in November I lost to South Africa, hopefully I'll get a chance for revenge."

Halfpenny was playing for Cardiff RFC in the Welsh Premiership last year and has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top.

The Swansea-born youngster starred in last summer's IRB Junior World Championship, then grabbed his chance with the Blues when Tom James was injured.

Another injury - to Scarlets and Wales winger Mark Jones - gave Halfpenny his surprise international chance against South Africa last autumn and he has since won six caps.

"I'm absolutely speechless, I would never have expected any of this at the start of the season," Halfpenny told BBC Sport Wales.

"Friends were saying I had a chance so I had to think it was a possibility, I couldn't sleep [Monday] night.

"I leaped in the air when I saw my name on the television, I nearly hit my head on the light.

"Then I broke into tears with my friends and family, it was just a massive occasion.

SIMON AUSTIN BLOG Head coach Ian McGeechan wants good tourists as well as good players

"We're going there to win a Test series and I can't wait to get started."

Former Wales captain Jonathan Davies says the Lions management have selected Halfpenny with a specific role in mind.

"I think that he's in as a goal kicker more than anything else," Davies told BBC Radio Wales.

"The only fly-halves [in the Lions party] are Ronan O'Gara and Stephen Jones.

"They will need a rest with [regular centre] Riki Flutey coming in [at fly-half], and then they will need Halfpenny to kick the goals."

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version