Australian opponent blown away by just how good Jac Morgan is
Jac Morgan put in a man-of-the-match performance for the Lions against Queensland Reds
Jac Morgan of the British & Irish Lions scores against Queensland Reds
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Incoming Ospreys lock Ryan Smith has paid tribute to "world-class" Jac Morgan, the only Welshman remaining on the British & Irish Lions tour, following his final outing for the Queensland Reds.
The 28-year-old Australia A international, who will fill the void left by Adam Beard at the Ospreys next season, faced off against Morgan in the Lions' commanding 52-12 win in Brisbane and was full of praise for his future team-mate.
'Jac Morgan is world-class. I think he was the player of the match again tonight, so it was cool to meet him and play against him,' said Smith. 'He was pretty tough on me a couple of times.'
Having made more than 70 appearances for the Reds, Smith departs after what he described as the best years of his career—but is eager to embrace a new chapter in the United Rugby Championship.
'I shed a tear after bowing out of the Super Rugby play-offs against the Crusaders. I've had an absolute blast here, and I'll never forget my time with the Reds,' he said.
'It's been some of the best years of my life and I've loved every minute of it.'
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Now preparing to join up with the Ospreys, Smith added: 'Everyone there has been really welcoming, helping me and my family settle. I'm excited to see what I can learn and how I can grow my game.'
The Toowoomba native hopes to return to Queensland someday, but for now, all eyes are on his new adventure in Wales. 'It's worked out quite well—the last home game in Super Rugby, then the play-offs, and now playing the Lions. Hopefully, I'll be back in Queensland one day.'
Morgan, meanwhile, earned plenty of plaudits elsewhere for his display against the Reds. He has now been named on the bench for the weekend clash with the Waratahs in Sydney. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack for the exclusive five-week tour diary from Japan and Australia.
Head coach Andy Farrell was blown away by his showing in Brisbane.
"If he plays like he did today, he can play wherever he wants," Farrell said.
"He was everywhere. His offloading game was great, he was aggressive with his hitting.
"He'll be delighted. The competition has started and there's reactions all over the place to come."
Wales great Sam Warburton believes Morgan has now put a "flag in the ground" for a Test spot against the Wallabies.
"He would have been one of those guys coming into this thinking, 'I'm under pressure!'," said Warburton as he analysed Morgan's performance on Sky Sports.
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"I thought he was solid against Argentina, but then you're only one player away from having a great performance and you falling right down the pecking order.
"He has really put his flag in the ground. Jac Morgan definitely deserved man of the match."
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