Wales coach Warren Gatland has admitted he wanted Martyn Williams to be part of the squad for the June Tests.
The New Zealander revealed that veteran open-side Williams, 34, who has 95 Wales caps, opted out of playing South Africa and then touring New Zealand.
"I said to him right from day one that we wanted to take our strongest team out," Gatland said.
"We wanted to take Martyn on tour and he felt that the best thing for him was to have a rest and a good pre-season."
Gatland added that he "had to respect that [decision]" as next year is probably Williams' last season of rugby and the Cardiff Blues back-row is likely to retire after the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.
Williams' understudy at for both Wales and the Blues, Sam Warburton, looked a likely successor in the number seven shirt in last Saturday's 31-34 loss to the Springboks.
