DRAGONS wing Jonah Holmes missed out in a straight shootout with fellow speedster Owen Lane for a spot in Wales' autumn squad, says boss Wayne Pivac.
The 29-year-old was a notable absentee when the 38-man squad was named for the Tests against New Zealand, South Africa, Fiji and Australia.
Holmes was a leading figure in the Dragons' superb United Rugby Championship success against Connacht in Galway last weekend, scoring a brace of tries at the Sportsground.
A clever piece of play from Jordan Williams led to the @JonahHolmes24 try for @dragonsrugby in the first half #URC | #CONDRA pic.twitter.com/rz43G42KwJ
— United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) October 9, 2021
He has featured almost exclusively on the wing for his club and that led to him missing out to Cardiff's Lane, who has been named along with Lions trio Josh Adams, Liam Williams and Louis Rees-Zammit plus the Scarlets' Johnny McNicholl.
Williams is a doubt for the start of the series after having his appendix removed, making McNicholl the leading candidate for the 15 jersey with Lane and Adams out wide given that Gloucester's Rees-Zammit cannot face the All Blacks.
"We think that Johnny McNicholl is probably the form player at the moment out of those guys," Pivac said about the candidates that can cover wing and full-back.
On Holmes, who has won seven caps and finished last season superbly, the head coach continued: "It came down to a shootout with Owen Lane from our point of view.
"We just think that when you look at the games, the stats and summer form, we think Owen is doing a little bit more around the park.
"That's not to say that Jonah isn't playing well, it's just a case of Owen getting the nod on this occasion."
Former Dragons full-back/wing Hallam Amos was also left out with Pivac revealing the Cardiff back has decisions to make about his future in the game.
The 27-year-old from Monmouthshire, who has won 25 caps, has combined being a professional rugby player with being a medical student at Cardiff University.
"Hallam is a separate issue," he said. "We spoke earlier this week and with his medical studies and what he is doing outside rugby he is a very, very busy young man at the moment.
"He has got some decisions to make going forward and the decision was made to leave him out of this series.
"He really just has to focus on club rugby at the moment and then what is coming up in terms of decisions to be made."
Wales squad
Backs: T Williams (Cardiff), G Davies (Scarlets), K Hardy (Scarlets), G Anscombe (Ospreys), R Priestland (Cardiff), D Biggar (Northampton), C Sheedy (Bristol), J Williams (Scarlets), J Davies (Scarlets), N Tompkins (Saracens), W Halaholo (Cardiff), B Thomas (Cardiff), J Adams (Cardiff), O Lane (Cardiff), L Rees-Zammit (Gloucester), J McNicholl (Scarlets), L Williams (Scarlets).
Forwards: W Jones (Scarlets), R Jones (Ospreys), R Carre (Cardiff), D Lewis (Cardiff), W John (Scarlets), T Francis (Ospreys), K Owens (Scarlets), E Dee (Dragons), R Elias (Scarlets), A W Jones (Ospreys, capt), A Beard (Ospreys), W Rowlands (Dragons), B Carter (Dragons), S Davies (Cardiff), C Tshiunza (Exeter), R Moriarty (Dragons), T Young (Wasps), T Basham (Dragons), E Jenkins (Cardiff), A Wainwright (Dragons), T Faletau (Bath).
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