Warburton: I’m ready now to captain this side again
Captain Sam Warburton on form, fitness and accepting the honour to lead the Lions’ challenge in New Zealand
Sam Warburton became only the second player in the game’s history to be named captain of British and Irish Lions for a second time on Wednesday, but the Welsh flanker revealed he would have been prepared to turn it down had he not got his own house in order during the Six Nations.
The back rower, who had led the Lions in 2013 and Wales since the 2011 World Cup, had been a firm favourite to retain the position once Warren Gatland was confirmed as the head coach – but his form dipped at the start of the season and he relinquished his position as skipper of Wales ahead of the Six Nations.
But Warburton was back to his best during the Six Nations and he had no hesitation in accepting Gatland’s offer during a phone call in a supermarket car park last week.
Warburton, below, said: “It wouldn’t have been right for me to be captain back in January. I wasn’t playing well or my best rugby. I’ve always thought if I’m going to be captain I need to be playing well and that’s something the rest of the boys will respect.
“Now the Six Nations has gone and I’m really pleased with my form and ready to take on the captaincy. I’ve been through quite a few tours, World Cups, and I’m comfortable and confident going into this and how I’ll do it.”
His best performances during the Six Nations came from blindside, a position he did not think he could excel at, and he admits he will go to New Zealand with an open mind.
“My best position is seven but I proved myself wrong playing blindside,” he said. “I didn’t think me and Justin Tipuric would play as well together as we did in the Six Nations but it was really effective and I probably surprised myself.
“It’s a nice mix because I can play six or seven, Sean O’Brien can play six or seven and guys in the second row like Iain Henderson and Maro Itoje can play six. CJ Stander could play No.8 and Taulupe Faletau is a great athlete who can play six.
“All the back row boys can mix and match. It’s not so much about the number on your back as long as the balance is right in the back row that’s what’s important.”
It will be the second summer in a row Warburton heads to New Zealand after Wales played a three-Test series there last summer.
It didn’t end well for Gatland’s side who were whitewashed but Warburton reckons having the luxury of picking from the best players in the home unions could help them handle the world champions especially at the breakdown. He added: “I know how tough playing back-to-back games against the All Blacks is. I played all three games out there last summer and it was very tough. I think guys might play in two or three, maybe four games before the first Test but I find it hard to believe players would start four games before that first Test. “The one thing I really noticed when I played there last summer was how good they were at the clean out. It wasn’t just a matter of not committing that many guys. Whenever they brought guys in at the breakdown they committed someone from the opposition.
“Too many times we’ve seen the Northern Hemisphere guys go into rucks and not commit the opposition. They just sit over the ball.
“I was trying to poach over there and getting taken out of play off the ground legally through a ruck. When I was taken out I was out of the game. It was extremely effective. That’s something we’re going to have to look at to try and up our attack a bit more.”
Warburton followed in the footsteps of Martin Johnson in becoming only the second player to lead the Lions twice and he is struggling to come to terms with the achievement. He said: “I grew up watching Martin Johnson – 1997 was a bit too early but 2001 was the first Lions tour I can remember. Obviously he was captain then.
“I can’t believe only two people have done it twice. It’s an absolute honour to be compared to Martin Johnson and the all-time world’s greatest players. It’s very strange to think you’ve achieved the same thing as him.”