FORMER Wales captain Paul Thorburn knows what it’s like to await a British and Irish Lions squad announcement for Australia.

The former Hereford Cathedral School pupil can sympathise with the likes of Leigh Halfpenny, Chris Robshaw and Brian O’Driscoll.

Thorburn was biting his nails 24 years ago. He is eagerly anticipating Warren Gatland’s Lions tour party and captain being named next Tuesday (April 30) at 11am in London.

“I missed out on the much-talked-about 1989 tour to Australia - I was a reserve,” he recalled.

“It was the tour where David Campese tried to run the ball from his own line in the deciding Test and threw a poor pass.

“Ieuan Evans dived on the ball to score a vital try and the Lions won the Test 19-18 to take the series 2-1.”

He added: “I was desperately disappointed not to have made the squad but you have to get on with it and I was asked to captain the Wales summer tour to Canada. It gave me a chance to remain fit and, while the Test series was on I hoped I would get a phonecall to join the Lions but, sadly, it never came.

“I retired in 1991 and the next Lions tour was in 1993 so I never got the chance again.”

Thorburn, who now lives in the Mumbles area of Swansea, was a pupil at Hereford Cathedral School from 1974 to 1981.

He was the 100th Wales captain and still holds the record for the longest successful penalty in Test rugby - a remarkable 64.2 metres.

The former Neath full-back believes Wales duo Alun Wyn Jones and Ryan Jones are strong contenders for the Lions’ captaincy.

“I think Wales will have six or seven players in the matchday squad for the first Test with Halfpenny, Alex Cuthbert, Justin Tipuric and George North all strong contenders.”

The first Test against Australia is on June 22 with the second on June 29 and the third on July 6.

Thorburn, now 50, said: “I will be watching all the games and how the tour unfolds with great interest. “If the Lions can win the first Test, it will be a very different Australia side coming out for the second. It’s going to be a fascinating series.”

Thorburn runs his own consulting business and is a board member of Sport Wales.

He hasn’t been back to Hereford for a couple of years.

He recalled: “My father was in the RAF, based at Credenhill, and along with my two elder brothers, we went to school as weekly boarders.

“In the services, you get posted from station to station every two or three years and going to a boarding school provides some degree of consistency with education. I liked it in Hereford and have some great memories.”