WARBURTON NECK OP IS BLOW TO DRAGONS

LIONS captain Sam Warburton needs neck surgery and has been ruled out of rugby for four months.

The Wales star (right), who aggravated the long-standing injury in training, will miss all four autumn Tests.

“It is a major blow for all concerned – for Cardiff Blues, Wales and Sam Warburton,” said Blues head coach Danny Wilson.

“For him personally, it’s another frustration in terms of an injury he has to come back from.”

This will be Warburton’s sixth operation and comes hard on the heels of the knee injury which cost him six weeks of rugby at the end of last season.

The 28-year-old recovered in time to lead the Lions to a drawn series against New Zealand – four years after captaining the tourists to series glory in Australia.