Only lock forward Nathan Hines and prop Euan Murray were selected by Lions coach Ian McGeechan on Tuesday.

At the start of the Six Nations several other Scottish players were being touted as potential Lions, not least captain Mike Blair.

But Scotland's poor results, which saw them finish with just one win over Italy, saw the likes of Blair, flanker John Barclay, hooker Ross Ford and winger Thom Evans miss out on the tour to South Africa.

Telfer, a former Lions player, captain and head coach believes the players lacked ambition in the Six Nations.

He said: "We had a good number in contention before the Six Nations started, but the team performance and individual performances have cost us and we have to look at why.

"While there were some debatable selections at the start of the championship in my opinion (by former coach Frank Hadden), our championship came down more to the ambition and attitude of the players."