GAT’S YER LOT, SAM

Warburton axed for Test opener

® from PETE SAMSON

SAM WARBURTON has been axed with Peter O’Mahony picked to captain the Lions in Saturday’s first Test against the All Blacks in Auckland.

Warburton will be on the bench as boss Warren Gatland dropped another bombshell when he left winger George North out of the squad and plumped for Elliot Daly instead.

It is the first time since 1930 that a Lions tour captain has not started the first Test.

Gatland picked Liam Williams for Leigh Halfpenny at full-back and left Maro Itoje on the bench, sticking with Alun Wyn Jones in the pack.

Gatland said: “We have picked a side based on form with a lot of players putting their hands up, especially from the Crusaders and Maori All Blacks games, and it was a lively selection meeting.

Scrambled

“The win against the Chiefs was also extremely important for the squad and some players played themselves into the side.

“To beat the All Blacks you have to score tries and I think we have picked a team capable of doing that.”

Flanker Warburton has scrambled for match sharpness since suffering an ankle problem in the tour-opening 13-7 win over Provincial Barbarians.

So Munster’s ferocious back-rower O’Mahony will captain the Lions in a Test three months after he was named as a sub for Ireland’s closing Six Nations match against England.

With Halfpenny left out, fly-half Owen Farrell – fit again after a thigh injury scare – will take the kicks.

Kieran Read will captain New Zealand at No.8 after nearly eight weeks out with a broken thumb. can any England fan be happy with the amount of non English players who represent us at tennis/rugby/cricket etc??? or is it just me?? I’ve been saying it 4 yrs. At last governing body av read my mind. 30 mins each half with the clock stopped soon as ball out of play. Perfectly fair & stops the irritating, unfair time-wasting. The fans will actually get full playing time instead of 50 or 60 mins To the baggies mug. CFC v wba gate before and after Roman 40k 41k so same fans you fool. Where was the wba fans in c/ship when the ground was half empty? 1997 and 1998 CFC won fa cup, the lge cup, the cup winners cup and super cup – what did wba win? Superspursfan – be honest with yourself if your billionaire owner Joe Lewis (tax exile and never goes to games) spending millions you wouldn’t be having a new Stadium. And yes you do spend millions on players, and waste millions on players like Janssen, Lamela, Scissoko and Soldado.