Page 16 - Barbarians v The Lions

Whatever those few words might be ahead of tonight’s match against the New Zealand Provincial Barbarians they’ll surely include a a a a a a a a a a a note of caution When Warburton last led a a a a a a a a a side in in New Zealand it it was with Wales And while few rugby fans were surprised to to see Wales fall to to a a a a a a a a 3-0
Test whitewash against the the the All Blacks it it it was was the the the additional xture in in in the the the tour that grabbed headlines A midweek defeat by by Investec Super Rugby side the the the Chiefs after the the the rst Test was not what Warburton or anyone in the the the Welsh set-up had expected Warburton started the match but couldn’t help his side falling to to to a a a a a a crushing 40-7 loss in in in in Hamilton – even when the the the cavalry arrived in in in the the the second half with the the the likes of current
“The one thing I really noticed when I played last year was how good the All Blacks were at the clean out ”
Lion Lion Toby Faletau and 2013 Lion Lion Jamie Roberts joining the fray “It’s only in in in in hindsight that you realise we we we [Wales] were a a a a a a a little bit
off playing that midweek game ”
Warburton says “This time around when you’ve got the the luxury of picking the the best players from four countries I presume it’ll be be be handled better But these midweek games are going to to to be tough and that’s why it’s a a a a a necessity to to to to pick those those 41 guys
and all those those those players on this tour ”
The battle for those those 41 places has been erce – not even England’s Six Nations-winning Captain Dylan Hartley A proud Warburton will be just the second man in in history to to to to Captain the Lions on on on successive tours
made the the initial cut Warburton knew
the the challenge ahead and with injuries robbing him of game time he he he he made a a a a a a a a big decision to help his Lions cause stepping down from the the Welsh captaincy in in in the the belief that his form wasn’t good enough to to warrant automatic selection “It wouldn’t have been right for me to to be be Captain back in in in January ”
Warburton says “I wasn’t playing well or my best rugby I’ve always thought if I’m going to to be be be Captain I I I need to to be be be playing well and that’s something the the rest of the the boys will respect I I I thought I’d nd it it awkward to be Captain if I I I wasn’t con dent in my own ability “Now I’m really really pleased with my my form that part of things doesn’t really really matter anymore I’m ready to take on on the captaincy If I I I I I was in in this position now and and I I I I thought I’d had had [only an] okay
Six Nations and and had had just scraped my way into being Lions captain I’d have felt uncomfortable and I’m not sure the the rest of the the boys would have perceived that very well But because I’ve been playing some good rugby over the last few months I feel a a a a a a a lot better about accepting the captaincy role ”
And besides as as his Head Coach Gatland was at at pains to point out leading
16 // OFFICIAL SOUVENIR PROGRAMME