As you deliberate the Lions Test Team for the first Test against The Wallabies, can I be presumptuous enough to offer my two cents?
(I'm sure you won't read this, but if you do can I start by saying how much of a fan of your's I am? The fact that you won a convincing Six Nations Grand Slam with Wales in your first year is amazing. I know Wales had already won one recently in 2005, but in 2008 it was *convincing*. Then you won another in 2012 and your management team won a Championship in 2013. It has all made me very happy..thanks!)
In terms of my impudent advice for picking the test side, let's start with what we both know: Halfpenny as Full Back - that's a given (I was in the ground for the Waratahs game). Also I think Mike Philips for Scrum Half and Jonny Sexton for Fly Half are equally easy decisions. The Wings are tough but I think whatever you chose between North, Cuthbert and Maitland I'd agree with you. Cuthbert has been fortunate to score many tries against weak opposition on this tour, but probably the real talent is with North and Maitland.
So the Wings, Half Backs and Full back are done. The Centres are tough, and depending on the injury situation at the moment it looks like Jonathan Davies and Brian O'Driscoll - unless you feel like the biggest gamble which is Cuthbert on the wing with Maitland and sticking North in the Centre with Davies? You have dabbled with North in Centre, let's face it. This could be genius or it could completely blow up in your face. I guess this is why you're paid the big bucks?
With so many Welsh players available, and my obvious bias aside, I have to say the back line has to be all Welsh: Warburton, Tipuric and Faletau. But I don't believe Sam should captain. Paul O'Connel, a given for Second Row with Alun Wyn Jones, should be Captain. He not only has more experience, he has more presence. Then for the Front Row I really don't know, but consensus seems to be that Hibbard would make a good Hooker and Adam Jones is a must. So there's another front row job I can't help you with.
But now I see your political problem. You're a Welsh Coach, with an embarrassment of Welsh riches that you know well, and you have to pick a side representative of the British Isles. Good luck with that, but what I've proposed is a good side I think. Whatever you do will be sound though.
But can I just say, too many recent British and Irish Lions Tours have been ruined by squad politics and Manager favouritism - it is so refreshing to see a Tour that isn't - and the credit for that is your's. So well done, good luck and here's to a first Series win for the Lions since 1997.