GATLAND URGES HIS LIONS TO BE BRAVE

COACH’S RALLYING CRY AFTER HE REVEALS BOLD SELECTIONS

WARREN GATLAND said today the Lions will have to be bold and courageous if they are to beat the All Blacks — and thinks he has shown the way with his selections for the First Test.

Gatland has named Wales wing Liam Williams at full-back for Saturday’s clash at Eden Park and picked Anthony Watson and Elliot Daly on the wings, leaving out the experienced George North.

It’s an attacking trio, with Williams and Daly impressing in the win against the Chiefs on Tuesday.

“He was elusive,” Gatland said of Williams. “He caused the Chiefs a lot of damage and played well, so he’s been given an opportunity at 15.”

The selection of the back three had All Blacks coach Steve Hansen wondering if “subtle changes” will be made to the Lions game-plan, especially with Williams likely to counterattack from kicks.

But Gatland bristled at suggestions the Lions were only ever going to play one-dimensional, ‘Warrenball’ rugby. “We’ve played some good rugby,” he said, adding that the Lions would continue to play a style that reflects their strengths. “The message to the players before we left home was that to play the All Blacks you have to be bold, you have to take risks.

“Yeah, we play to a structure, as every team does. We need to have the confidence and ability to bring an offloading game in when it’s appropriate, and we’ve been trying to do that. We know we have to be courageous coming here, we know we have to be bold and we know we have to play some positive rugby.”

The make-up of the back three was the major surprise in Gatland’s selections but the head coach made a number of other big calls.

Ireland’s Peter O’Mahony (right) — in the Lions party after a brilliant Six Nations game against England — will captain the side, having won his battle with tour skipper Sam Warburton for the blindside flanker role.

Warburton will be on the bench alongside Maro Itoje, who has lost out to Alun Wyn Jones in the