WARBURTON IN RACE TO PROVE TEST FITNESS

FRESH doubts emerged yesterday about the fitness of Lions captain Sam Warburton after he was left out of the 23 to face Crusaders here tomorrow. ‘He had a slight ankle strain after the first game,’ said head coach Warren Gatland. ‘He needs a few more days.’ Warburton has played just an hour in two months — in the tour opener against the Provincial Barbarians last Saturday — meaning he could be chronically undercooked going into the Test series. And tomorrow’s match will be tough. The Super Rugby leaders feature nine All Blacks. Gatland may be tempted to deploy Warburton in some capacity with the midweek team against the Highlanders on Tuesday, though the match may come a little too soon. Warburton would then have to come through in good shape against the Maori a week tomorrow to demonstrate that he is in condition to confront the world champions. In his absence, Alun Wyn Jones will captain the side with fly-half Owen Farrell getting his first tour start. Gatland said: ‘I have seen a massive development in Farrell. He has been one of the top players in northern hemisphere rugby in the last two years.’