Amid a dearth of Welsh players being touted for British & Irish Lions selection, it would be hard to find many beyond Jac Morgan, Dewi Lake, and Tomos Williams whose names are being seriously considered for the tour to Australia this summer. Given Wales' recent struggles—15 Test defeats in a row—it is difficult to dispute their absence from the conversation. Yet, amid the gloom, a surprise contender has emerged: Nicky Smith. When the loosehead prop positions for the Lions tour are discussed, Ireland's Andrew Porter and England's Ellis Genge are near-certainties. But the race for the third spot remains wide open. Scotland’s Pierre Schoeman has made a case, though his performances in the early rounds of the Six Nations, particularly in the scrum against England, have failed to impress. Against that backdrop, Smith’s resurgence has made him an increasingly compelling option. The 30-year-old Smith scrummaged well in the narrow defeat to Ireland in Cardiff after finally being given a chance to start. Surprisingly, despite his form, both Warren Gatland and Wayne Pivac have overlooked him in recent times. Smith has earned a reputation as one of the most destructive scrummaging looseheads in European club rugby, whether playing for the Ospreys or, more recently, Leicester Tigers. While he may not carry with the same explosiveness as Genge or Porter, his scrummaging technique is arguably superior. The competition for that third loosehead spot on the Lions tour is fierce. Rising talents like Ireland's Jack Boyle and England's Fin Baxter can't be discounted but Smith stands out as the more dominant scrummager compared to both. Adam Jones, Wales’ scrum coach, who has first-hand experience of Smith’s power, offered an insightful perspective. Reflecting on his battles with Smith, Jones recalled, "I played against him for Cardiff and he shoved my head right up my backside. Albeit the new rules, not the hit and chase so my game had gone at the time. "Maybe with the old rules, I’d have done ok." Jones continued, "He was a strong boy and I’ve always thought he was a really good player. Going to Leicester and seeing him again, if you’re a Leicester prop, you have to have that scrummaging mentality. He’s certainly got it. "Gareth Thomas is a massive leader off the pitch for us and around the defence. They actually balance out pretty well. Both good scrummagers. Both came through a region with a long line of dominant prop forwards. So history dictates they have to be a good scrummager at the Ospreys. "“He’s been good. I don’t know why he wasn’t picked, because I wasn’t here, but I’m glad to have him here. He’s been good for us.” Coming from someone of Jones' expertise—widely regarded as one of the finest scrummagers in Welsh rugby history—these words carry weight. The scrummaging battle at Murrayfield this weekend, with Schoeman and Zander Fagerson on the Scottish side, represents an important test for his Lions aspirations. Over the years, top-tier props such as former All Blacks tighthead Karl Tu'inukuafe, French international Mohamed Haouas, and England’s Dan Cole have all tried—and failed—to overpower Smith in the scrum. Last season, Smith’s dominant display helped the Ospreys secure an impressive victory in Cape Town over the Stormers, with Smith getting the better of Springboks tighthead Frans Malherbe at set-piece time. Since moving to Leicester, Smith has continued to build on his impressive scrummaging form, establishing himself as one of the leading looseheads in the Gallagher Premiership. His consistency at the scrum, combined with his ability to win turnovers at the breakdown make him a serious contender for Lions selection. His elevation to the starting XV for Wales has been long overdue, and if the Welsh scrum can build on its recent performance against Ireland, Smith’s stock will continue to rise. The next few weekends will be pivotal in determining his future with the Lions, particularly as he faces off against tighthead opponents such as Fagerson and England’s Will Stuart in the coming weeks. For now, Morgan, Lake, and Williams remain the frontrunners for Wales’ likely Lions tourists, but don’t be surprised if Smith’s name appears on that list come selection time this summer.