STEVE Hansen, the former Wales coach now assistant coach of New Zealand, today stepped into the controversy over the lack of Welsh players in the British Lions team for Saturday's first Test against the All Blacks in Christchurch.

Woodward yesterday named only Gareth Thomas, Stephen Jones, Dwayne Peel and Gethin Jenkins in the side compared with eight English players and another five on the bench, although Wales won the Grand Slam last season.

Woodward had also said when he announced the Lions squad on April 11 that if he was picking the Test team then he would name seven or eight Welshmen, three Englishmen, a Scot and the rest from Ireland.

Hansen said in New Zealand today that the All Blacks would fear the Lions less without certain Welsh players in the team.

He singled out the back row in particular, saying Martyn Williams, Michael Owen and Ryan Jones were all unlucky not to have made the team, failing to mention Gavin Henson or Shane Williams who, of course, Hansen rarely picked when he was in charge of Wales.

"Martyn has been pretty unlucky and Michael and Ryan could easily have started at number eight," said Hansen.

"But he (Woodward) has gone for people he had with him before, the England players, which means those from Wales and Ireland and Scotland have missed out.

"In the loose forward area we would have been a lot more concerned if he had picked some Welsh players."

Back home Harry Redknapp, manager of Southampton where Woodward is heading in a career changing move after the Lions tour as director of football, has warned him to stay out of team affairs.

Redknapp said he was sure Woodward would bring a lot to the club on the organisational front, but he would not tolerate interference in team selection.