Warburton can still lead in first Test
John Taylor, the 1971 Lions openside, casts his expert eye over Warren Gatland’s back row options
The front page of the New Zealand Herald on Friday was brutal: Put to the Sword – Skipper dropped as Lions reach
critical point read the headline. In some ways it was totally predictable in a country where a hostile Press is just one of those extra pressures you have to overcome as a visiting team – but even by New Zealand standards it was premature.
Displayed over a photo of Sam Warburton receiving the ceremonial claymore presented at the beginning of the Highlanders game I guess the editor felt it was too good a headline to miss.
The Lions’ back-row equation is definitely proving troublesome but I am still putting my money on Warburton leading out the team next Saturday.
In an ideal world he would have played against the Crusaders and would have been in the starting XV yesterday but injuries invariably play havoc with the pre-tour selection plan and so it has proved again. However, the captain came through the Highlanders game with no illeffects and a good showing from the bench yesterday was probably the ideal preparation for next week.
There can be no doubts that losing Billy Vunipola before the tour began was a major blow. He offers something the All Blacks do not have – a wrecking ball who will guarantee you hard yards from the base of the scrum. He would have proved a handful even to a player like Kieran Read.
On immediate pre-tour form I am guessing Warren Gatland’s thoughts were leaning towards a back-row of Taulupe Faletau, Vunipola and Warburton. Now he has had to totally rethink but, fortunately, Faletau has hit the ground running and has been hugely impressive. He is now a certainty at No. 8.
His only rival, CJ Stander, has already been found-out. There is no kind way to say this – sadly, he is a one trick pony. Against the Highlanders he carried more than 20 times but made less than 50 metres and half of those were made off two bursts where he had a clear ten metre run before contact. When he was trying to make hard yards from a standing start he went nowhere and gave away two penalties because he went sideways and isolated himself.
Peter O’Mahony seems equally certain to start at blindside. He had a tremendous game against Crusaders and is now clearly back to the sort of form he was in before the knee ligament
“Warburton’s good showing from the bench yesterday was probably the ideal preparation for next week”
injury that put him out of the 2015 World Cup and the rest of that season.
He was man of the match when Ireland beat England in the final Six Nations game and led Munster superbly.
He is, without question, way ahead of James Haskell at this stage of the tour and, suddenly, the first Test is almost upon us so it is difficult to see a change in that pecking order.
Haskell, below, is the most honest, hard working, back-rower you could ever wish for but, like Stander, he does not have the full set of skills. He offers himself as a ball carrier at every opportunity but is getting absolutely no change out of the opposition and, perhaps surprisingly, he learnt nothing about changing the point of attack through offloading during his time at the Highlanders a
few seasons ago.
Ross Moriarty has been unlucky to miss out with his back in jury. He was one of the few to make a good impression in the opening match but that tweaked back muscle has seen him forced to take the plane home. Hopefully, his chance will come again.
On the open-side Sean O’Brien is the obvious alternative to Warburton. He, too, had a great game against the Crusaders and he and O’Mahony are now a formidable pairing.
The final back-row selection, Justin Tipuric, is one of those Gatland was apologising to when he admitted some players have not really had a chance to shine.
Even with Wales he is often an impact player – brought off the bench as the game loosens up in the final quarter. I just cannot see that happening over here.
There is, of course, one other scenario – that Maro Itoje comes into the equation as a blind-side. His athleticism and ball skills definitely give him the ability to operate one row further back but he is making a big impact in the second row at the moment (I would put him ahead of anybody else) and I would be amazed if Gatland suddenly changed direction without having given him a game at No. 6.
Which brings us back to the skipper. Gatland trusts him – that is why he made him captain – and he knows Warburton will be the first to say if he is not confident he is 100 per cent physically and therefore mentally prepared.
He stood down as captain of Wales because he felt he had to concentrate on getting his own game right after injury but, having proved he was back to his best, he was the obvious choice as Lions’ captain.
Providing he is fully fit he would get my nod and, I suspect, Gatland’s too. If not, O’Brien will have his full support.