Gatland wants Cardiff to leave Warburton out of play-off matches
Warren Gatland has revealed that he wants the injured Lions captain, Sam Warburton, to be held back from playing for Cardiff Blues in their European play-off matches so that he can be ready “to make a statement”, as he leads out the team for the first game of their tour of New Zealand against the Provincial Barbarians at Toll Stadium in Whangarei.
Gatland insists that the Lions need to start well as he believes that every opponent will see it as “a chance to make a name for themselves, do something special, create a bit of history” by beating the Lions even if the head coach believes that this squad is “a lot stronger than 2009 and 2013 in terms of potential”.
Warburton suffered knee liga- ment damage playing for Cardiff rdiff Blues against Ulster in early April. pril. The Blues have a European Chamhampions Cup semi-final play-off y-off against Stade Français in Paris s on Friday with the final taking place ace seven days later.
“It would be ideal for us if he didn’t play for the Blues,” said Gatland, eager for Warburton to prove his match fitness in New Zealand.
“Sam thinks he is OK at the moment. The plan is that he will stay with us and do some hard conditioning work withh contact as well.”
There will be a Lions training ng camp this week at the Vale of Glamorgan with another schemed med for next week in Ireland, both camps involving those players not in either Aviva Premiership or Pro12 play-offs. The entire squad quad departs for New Zealand on May y 29 with the first game taking place only three days after arrival.
“We struggled in 2009 in that first game,” recalled Gatland. “It wasn’t pretty. The opposition teams will relish a Lions scalp and my challenge is to communicate that to the squad. In the past it was provincial teams, not Super Rugby sides, and they will see it as a chance to make a name for themselves, do something special, create a bit of history.” Gatland takes issue with the notion prevalent in New Zealand that the Lions are little more than a bunch of battlehardened bruisers primed to get stuck into the All Blacks pack so as to neutralise their attacking play.
“I find it interesting that people think that,” said Gatland, who does not intend to reveal his full hand of tactics and ploys until the first Test. “There is some real talent in our side, real skill and footwork and genuine pace. From the skill point of view this is the best team I have put together for a long, long time. It is a lot stronger than 2009 and 2013.
“It definitely will not be a case of picking the biggest and ugliest brutes to try to beat New Zealand into submission. The last few weeks we have been refining the calling system, structures and patterns as well.
“The key thing is making sure you keep some things up your sleeve and you are not showing too much. Something has to be a surprise. The first Test is everything. ”
Gatland is intent on making sure that every player gets a start in one of the first three matches.