Zinzan Brooke picks out a soft Lions forward

Taulupe Faletau scores at Eden Park last year - Brooke says he is soft. Photo / Nick Reed

All Black great Zinzan Brooke has labelled one of the Lions forwards as soft.

Brooke says the Welsh No. 8 Taulupe Faletau lacks the "mongrel edge".

"Quick lesson for anyone playing the All Blacks - if you don't have that mongrel edge, you get found out pretty quickly against the best team in the world," the former All Black No. 8 told the Daily Mail.

"It's not that he isn't a good player, he just isn't a key player...(he's) pretty much good at everything but doesn't have that mongrel edge."

Faletau has played for Gatland's Lions once, in the third test drubbing of Australia in 2013 at Sydney, with Ireland's Jamie Heaslip playing the first two tests.

England's powerful ball runner Billy Vunipola will be the favourite to start against the All Blacks, while fellow Lion Ross Moriarty seemed to overtake Faletau in the Welsh pecking order this year.

Brooke also dissed Gatland over the snubbing of Scottish players.

"Scotland had a bloody good campaign and had wins over Ireland, Wales and Italy. Somehow they end up only contributing two players while Wales make up a massive 12 players."