SO, WHO ELSE CAN IT BE?
LIONS SKIPPER: SPORT
WHEN reports broke on Saturday that Alun Wyn Jones is set to be named as Warren Gatland’s tour captain for the British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa, surprise was hardly the overwhelming emotion.
This was, after all, the obvious choice. Yet while few were surprised, not everyone is thrilled with the news, broken by the Telegraph, that is set to come out shortly after midday tomorrow.
One Twitter user, quite amusingly, called out: “This would be a disgrace and unacceptable.”
Another called it “literally a smack in the face for quite a few players”.
“Fifth best lock available,” read another review of the news.
In some slightly more sensible replies, others called it “underwhelming” and “uninspiring”.
Perhaps the only reasonable argument put forth on why it shouldn’t be the Wales second row is that he’s not guaranteed a Test spot. So why the adverse reaction? National preference? Probably. Then there’s the chance that Jones isn’t always as highly valued outside of his homeland.
And the likes of Itoje, Owen Farrell and Stuart Hogg do all have credible arguments and credentials to be captain.
But make no bones about it, there was never really any choice about the tour captain. Jones was THE choice.
Because when it comes to what you want from a Lions captain, Jones ticks nearly all the boxes.
Captaining the Lions is a unique challenge, bringing together players from four separate nations and forging a winning culture ready to take on one of the world’s best in a matter of weeks.
Throw in the hurdles created by the Covid-19 pandemic and the leadership role has never been harder.
“The biggest challenge,” 1980 tour captain Bill Beaumont told the Times in 2017, “is you have to unite the tour.”
“Things are brilliant when you are winning,” added another legendary Lions captain, Willie John Mcbride, “but, by God, they can quickly fall apart when you are losing. I was very aware of that.”
“You need allies,” was the opinion of 2005 tour skipper Brian O’driscoll. “They have the ears of their own countrymen. The important thing is you need to win over the influencers in the set-up.”
You’ll also find yourself stuck between management and the playing group, a middle man of sorts.
Who better to weather those challenges and unite a squad better than a man who commands so much respect in the game.
Not only does Jones hold the world record for Test caps, but he’s one of an exclusive club to have beaten South Africa, Australia and New Zealand with the Lions.
Above all that, he’s also the one still driving the standards. Last week, Wales and Lions fitness guru Paul Stridgeon revealed that the 35-year-old is always the one leading the way in training, sprinting between drills and pushing his team-mates to work harder.
That’s leading by example and that’s what Gatland will want in his bid to topple the Springboks.
Of course, there is that argument that Jones isn’t guaranteed a starting spot.
But it’s important not to assume tour captain means the same thing as Test captain.
Former Wales flanker Sam Warburton was trusted to lead the Lions again in New Zealand four years ago, but come the first Test in Auckland he took his place on the bench while Sean O’brien led the touring side.
In his column for the Times, Warburton wrote: “I think Gatland will go with Alun Wyn and tell him the same he told me, which is: “You’re going to be tour captain, but, given the amount of competition in your position, it doesn’t mean that you are going to be Test captain. You have got to play your way into that Test team.”
“That’s what I had to do. And I’m sure Alun Wyn will do the same.
“As a tour captain he is such a good fit. He deserves it.”