Lions bench Warburton for Maori All Blacks
WELLINGTON — Tour captain Sam Warburton has been relegated to the bench for the British and Irish Lions clash against the Maori All Blacks on Saturday, just a week before the first Test.
Munster and Ireland’s Peter O’Mahony will take over as captain for a match the tourists regard as an unofficial fourth Test.
After Warburton sputtered in a disappointing 23-22 loss to the Highlanders, coach Warren Gatland had no qualms about handing flanker O’Mahony the skipper’s armband.
“Peter is a proven captain with Munster,” Gatland said ahead of the match in Rotorua.
“He never takes a backward step and we believe that those leadership qualities will serve us well on Saturday against a quality and determined Maori All Blacks team.”
The Irishman is the fourth player to captain the Lions on tour after Warburton, Ken Owens and Alun Wyn Jones.
The tourists are looking to bounce back after their second loss of the tour and Gatland’s selection against the Maori team is expected to be close to his first-choice Test side.
If it is, losing the Test captaincy would be a huge blow to Warburton, who led the Lions to a series win in Australia in 2013 but has struggled for form recently after a series of nagging injuries.
Gatland has shown previously he will not shy away from big selection calls, famously dropping Irish legend Brian O’Driscoll for the series decider in 2013 — a move that sparked outrage in Ireland.
He has opted for an all-Irish combination at nine and 10 against the Maori, with Johnny Sexton starting ahead of Owen Farrell at flyhalf and Conor Murray at scrum-half.
The starting side includes 11 players who saw action in the Lions’ 12-3 win over the Canterbury Crusaders, their most impressive display on tour so far.
“We need to play like we did last Saturday against the Crusaders,” assistant coach Neil Jenkins said.
“We’re a week out from the first Test, so Saturday’s game against the Maori is huge for us, it’s like an unofficial fourth Test match.”
Leigh Halfpenny replaces the injured Stuart Hogg at fullback, while Liam Williams makes way for Anthony Watson on the wing.
Lock Wyn Jones, who captained against the Crusaders, was not even named to the match day 23, with Gatland preferring England’s Maro Itoje in the second row backed by Iain Henderson on the bench.
Farrell kicked the Lions to victory against the Crusaders but may be paying the price for a late missed penalty against the Highlanders, when a frustrated Gatland said his men “shot ourselves in the foot”.
The three-Test series begins on June 24.