Warburton: Quality of Lions incredible
LONDON: Wales flank Sam Warburton was confirmed as captain of the British and Irish Lions for the second time yesterday but, as widely predicted, there was no place in the squad to tour New Zealand for England captain Dylan Hartley.
Warburton, 28, joins England’s Martin Johnson as the only men to have led the Lions twice, having skippered them on the successful 2013 tour of Australia.
Hartley misses out despite leading England to successive Six Nations titles, with his understudy Jamie George preferred at hooker alongside Rory Best and Ken Owens.
Coach Warren Gatland’s 41-man squad included a few surprises, not least England centre Jonathan Joseph, who had been widely predicted in local media to have missed out.
Fellow England centre Ben Te’o was also in, as was Harlequins prop Kyle Sinckler, who has yet to start a Test for England, and wing Jack Nowell, who has struggled to nail down a starting place under Eddie Jones.
England forward Maro Itoje is the youngest member of the squad at 22.
Ross Moriarty, impressive at No 8 for Wales in the Six Nations, was a surprise addition, as was Ireland’s New Zealand-born utility back Jared Payne. In the squad there are 16 Englishmen, 12 from Wales, 11 Irish and two Scots.
“There’s been healthy debate about the squad and now that it’s been announced we need to get behind it 100 percent and get excited about travelling to New Zealand,” Gatland said.
Gatland, a New Zealander who led the Lions to success in Australia four years ago, said there were no illusions about the task ahead.
“This is the toughest tour. In previous tours the midweek games tended to be a little easier, but when you look at the quality of the opposition we’re facing in midweek it’s going to be hugely challenging,” he added.
Warburton is currently out injured, but said he would be 100 percent fit. “Even the 2013 tour hasn’t sunk in,’ said the flank. “I had a dinner with all the other former captains last night when it sunk in the enormity, I found out last Thursday when Gats called. I was in a supermarket carpark and didn’t believe him at first.
“I only saw the squad list at 11.55am. The quality of players is incredible. It gives me as captain a massive amount of confidence going into the tour.” – Reuters