IT'S not a foregone conclusion you'll make the Test team, Wales and British Lions legend Gareth Edwards warns the 10 Welsh players who fly out to New Zealand next week with the latest Lions.

But Edwards (pictured), a vital member of the only Lions team to win a Test series against the All Blacks in 1971, still expects Wales to supply several members of the Test line-up in June and July.

The Welsh 10 who all helped Wales win the Grand Slam for the first time for 27 years are Gareth Thomas, Michael Owen, Shane Williams, Gavin Henson, Tom Shanklin, Stephen Jones, Dwayne Peel, Gareth Cooper, Gethin Jenkins and Martyn Williams.

"After such an exciting and successful Six Nations supporters will be looking for all or many of the Welsh players to be remembered as successful Lions," said Edwards in an exclusive interview, "but they've still got it all to do. It's not a foregone conclusion they will get into the Test team.

"However, I'll still be very surprised if several are not included. Once you're on a Lions tour it's another task to get in the main team. You're not going to get in on a sympathy vote or on past performances.

"You also need a bit of luck. In the first couple of games you play in not all the provincial teams will be of the same strength, but I expect a number of the Welsh players to make their mark and play in the Test team and they are bound to return as even better players."

Edwards added: "Lots of things have changed since I played there, but it's going to be a difficult task. They're going to one of the toughest countries in the world, trying to beat the All Blacks in their own back yard.

"The final Test selection will be from 45 players which in itself merits a lot of discussion. It'll be interesting to see who shows form and grasps the nettle. Someone always comes out of the pack.

"The modern approach to professional rugby is that you don't talk about 15 players but 22. It keeps all the players together.

"One advantage of a 45-player party is that you don't have to worry about having to send for replacements. "It's not going to be easy, but the quality of the Lions gives them a fairly good chance of winning the Test series."

Edwards will be one of a host of former stars at a Lions legends dinner at the Celtic Manor Resort next Sunday, a gala occasion in aid of the Lions Trust which is designed to aid former Lions who have fallen on hard times.