After more than a decade of token Scottish involvement with the British & Irish Lions, the work done by Glasgow Warriors since the tourists last assembled appears likely to be rewarded today.

Not since, significantly some may feel, the last successful Lions set off for South Africa 16 years ago with Alan Tait, Gregor Townsend, Tom Smith and Doddie Weir all in attendance, have more than three Scots been named in an initial tour party. Admittedly four were on the plane which headed off at the start of the South Africa tour last time around, but only after Tomas O'Leary was injured and Mike Blair was called up as a replacement.

Since 1997, only Tom Smith – who played in all three Tests against Australia in 2001 – Gordon Bulloch, who was a first Test blood replacement on that tour and also a replacement in the 70th minute of the final Test in 2005, Chris Cusiter, who was a 60th-minute replacement in the Test ahead of that trip to New Zealand, and Ross Ford – a replacement in the third Test in South Africa four years ago – have made Test appearances.

However, four men who have taken very different routes but all owe their opportunities to the capacity of the Glasgow management to identify talent and develop it over the last four years, are very much in the frame today as we sit down to a specially arranged brunch at Scotstoun to await news of the Lions selection.

The mere fact that the address for Scottish Rugby's media invitation to a specially arranged "Lions brunch" was Scotstoun rather than Murrayfield is an indicator of the current balance of power in this country. Greig Laidlaw, Edinburgh's captain, looks to be the only capital-based player in serious contention for Lions involvement.

By contrast, those on tenterhooks as the Sky feed comes through in Glasgow – although it is likely all would have been informed by now if they are selected – include Warriors Stuart Hogg, Sean Maitland and Ryan Grant, while the club's former poster boy Richie Gray is also in contention for a place. Two more former Warriors in Kelly Brown and Euan Murray may also be clinging to some hope, but seem less likely to hear the news they are hoping for.

All sorts of factors have to be taken into consideration, not least the impact of the British & Irish contingent involved in the latter stages of the Heineken and Challenge Cups during a season in which French clubs have reasserted themselves as the dominant force in Europe.

Those matches have provided a lifeline for the likes of Munster's Paul O'Connell and Simon Zebo, who were denied opportunities in the Six Nations to establish their credentials. Their re-emergence has heightened the competition for both Gray and Maitland, respectively.

Those factors have also allowed French-based players to demonstrate that it could be folly for Gatland to take the view that involvement in the Top 14, with its extended season compared with the RaboDirect Pro12 and English Premiership, should take top-class players out of the equation. That has major implications for a few of the Scottish contenders, not least Laidlaw whose nuggety character is such that he would be a popular choice, but whose versatility is now challenged by superstars of English and Welsh rugby in Jonny Wilkinson and James Hook.

Until relatively recently, those championing Wilkinson might have been dismissed as sentimentalists given the stand-off's associations with Australia. However, his masterminding of Toulon's victory over Saracens at their own game in Sunday's Heineken Cup semi-final demonstrated that form as well as reputation favour him.

As his inter-changing at club level with Matt Giteau demonstrates he can provide additional cover for the troublesome inside centre position, but so too can Hook, who shone even for Perpignan even in their narrow Challenge Cup semi-final defeat by Stade Francais on Friday, He can also play at outside centre and full-back.

Similarly, both Grant and Murray must be aware that adding Wilkinson's Toulon colleague,s Gethin Jenkins and Andrew Sheridan to the range of propping contenders could also impact on their chances.

Clermont Auvergne's place in the Heineken Cup final, meanwhile, raises the matter of whether – deep into his 37th year and 18 months after quitting Test rugby – Nathan Hines, a great warrior in his own right, could manage the rare achievement for a "Scot" of going on two Lions tours. As they seek to take it to the Aussies no-one could possibly know what is required than the one time rugby league player from Wagga Wagga.

Scotland's contenders

Stuart Hogg Seized chance to establish himself in the Glasgow team during last year's World Cup, had a try wrongly disallowed last year on becoming the first Scottish teenager to play Test rugby in 20 years, scored one on becoming the first to start a Test a week later, claimed a hat trick against Munster in Munster and has put in further electrifying Six Nations performances this term.

Sean Maitland Cannot be described as a product of the Scottish game but responded enthusiastically to being courted by ex-Glasgow coach and fellow kilted Kiwi Sean Lineen as soon as he realised that his chances of becoming an All Black had gone and since making an instant impact with Scotland's first Six Nations try this season early in his debut.

Greig Laidlaw Could become the second Lion in his family after uncle Roy if selectors decide that his experience of having full Six Nations campaigns at both stand- off, last year and scrum-half, this time around, offer them options particularly for the midweek team, but may be the victim of Jonny Wilkinson's latest renaissance.

Ryan Grant After being discarded by Andy Robinson at Edinburgh four years ago considered giving up the game before Glasgow persuaded him to give it another go and their foresight has been rewarded with the emergence of both a top-class loosehead prop and, perhaps even more surprisingly, a player with considerable leadership ability.

Ross Ford Won a Lions Test cap last time around and captained Scotland in two campaigns last year yet suffered a major loss of form so dropped out of the picture as Wales' Richard Hibbard, once criticised by Scotland's interim Test coach as being too lazy, has emerged along with Ireland's Rory Best and England's Tom Youngs as stronger contenders.

Euan Murray Toured with the Lions last time around and remains a hugely respected scrummager while the difficulties caused for Scotland since that 2009 tour by his decision not to make himself available for Sunday matches for religious reasons should not be a factor on a tour that contains no Sunday fixtures, but he, none the less, seems unlikely to make the final cut this time around.

Richie Gray The supposedly astute judge of a player that is Jeremy Guscott dismissed him as "Bambi on ice" before his first Six Nations only for the lock to make a mockery of that description and while his move to Sale Sharks has, as many of us feared, been little short of disastrous, it would seem that Warren Gatland knows class when he sees it.

Nathan Hines Has a real chance of making history by winning a second Heineken Cup winners medal with favourites Clermont Auvergne, having won his first with Leinster three years ago after Brian O'Driscoll, following the 2009 Lions tour, persuaded the province's management to sign him which is surely the ultimate endorsement for any forward.

Kelly Brown In the days when versatility was a key consideration for Lions tours that went on for months, the Scotland captain would have been a certainty to make the trip given his capacity to play all three back-row positions equally well, but shorter tours and improved travel times and conditions allow for out-and-out specialists and he may be the third-best available in all three slots.