Ferocious, versatile and a proven leader, Warburton is the man to captain Lions
Warren Gatland has strong candidates
I to lead the tourists, but one stands out had a pretty open mind at the has been very effective for England end of the autumn over the past 15 months. Hamish internationals as to who I Watson and Justin Tipuric are both thought should be Lions excellent players. But I would say captain for this summer’s Warburton has got his nose in front. tour to New Zealand. Dylan Warburton offers versatility; he can Hartley, Rory Best, Alun play anywhere across the back row, he Wyn Jones and Sam is ferocious over the ball, he can carry. Warburton were all strong He also offers a line-out option which contenders and I was prepared to could be useful, particularly as we back any of them had they had a big know from Ireland’s victory over the Six Nations. All Blacks in Chicago last
There is little doubt in my mind autumn that if you can now about who it should be, although disrupt them there, unfortunately he limped off the pitch New Zealand are following a bang to the knee during vulnerable. the Cardiff Blues’ 24-24 draw at Ulster Hartley must be on Friday night. in the frame
Warburton has looked back to his because the core of very best since returning in the the travelling party autumn and I really hope the injury is will be English. But not a serious one. Whether his improved form is a direct result of his relinquishing the Wales captaincy to Alun Wyn is an interesting question. It would be ironic if Sam got the Lions captaincy partly because of giving up the Wales one. But presuming he is fit, I think he is the obvious pick now.
I was already veering towards Jones or Warburton anyway, purely because I like my captains to come from the back five of the scrum. I think they are a good link between forwards and backs. They are so involved in the game. But that is a personal choice, and my preferences could well be different to Warren Gatland’s.
But what I think also plays in Sam’s favour is the fact that he is one of very few players who looks assured of his place in the Test team.
You want your tour captain to be starting the big games. And there are not many automatic picks. Owen Farrell? Billy Vunipola? Mako Vunipola perhaps? Conor Murray? CJ Stander? Not many.
Warburton is looking pretty good for that No 7 shirt. And that is not down to a dearth of opensides. Sean O’Brien got better as the Six Nations wore on. James Haskell he is far less assured of his place. Neither he nor Best is sure to start, with Ken Owens probably the form hooker in the Six Nations just gone. And then you have Jamie George to consider as well. It is going to be interesting to see which three hookers Gats takes with him. As for the second row, that is probably the most competitive area in the entire squad with AWJ, Maro Itoje, Joe Launchbury, Courtney Lawes, Devin Toner, Iain Henderson, the Gray brothers, and maybe even George Kruis if he can finish the season strongly, all presenting compelling cases. In the end, though, I think the relationship between coach and captain is the decisive factor. Warren knows Warburton so well. He trusts him. He was his captain for Wales for so long and also for the Lions in 2013, albeit Sam had to lean heavily on Paul O’Connell after picking up an injury. Whoever Gats goes with, he will look to all his senior players to create a wider leadership team and contribute towards building a positive atmosphere. Jason Leonard was my ‘ultimate’ Lion. Not because of what he did on the pitch necessarily – although propping on both sides of the scrum in New Zealand in 1993 was no mean feat – but in terms of what he brought off it. As one of England’s most experienced players, everyone presumed Jason would be a Test starter in 1997 but he was not. It must have been a crushing disappointment yet he Leader still spent of the time with pack: Sam Paul Warburton Wallace, putting everything into making him ready. That sums up the Lions ethos. Picking the Test team is crucial. But it is the reaction of the other 20 that can make the Lions such a powerful force. I hope Warburton’s knee recovers in time for April 19. But whoever Gats goes with as tour captain, the crucial thing is that they all rally behind him and create something special – because that is the unique strength of the Lions.