Sam Warburton stands aside for the good of the Lions ahead of first Test against the All Blacks

The British and Irish Lions will head into their first Test match without their tour captain on a selection basis for the first time in 51 years after Sam Warburton was left out of the side that will take on the All Blacks this weekend.

Not since Mike Campbell-Lamberton dropped himself from the Lions squad in 1966 has the touring party gone into a Test without their captain, with head coach Warren Gatland trusting Warburton’s belief that he is not ready to start the first Test at Eden Park this weekend.

Warburton declared earlier this week that he will be big enough to stand aside and allow Sean O’Brien to start the game - not to mention Peter O’Mahony to captain the side - if he felt he was not up to scratch, and the Wales flanker’s omission from the starting line-up for this Saturday’s encounter displays his anxiety that he is not yet at Test rugby level following knee and ankle injuries.

O’Mahony is rewarded for his leading performance against the Maori All Blacks last weekend, although the Munster forward appears to have been selected in his ability to spearhead the lineout threat against the All Blacks, alongside George Kruis, rather than take them on at the breakdown.

With O’Mahony at No 6 and his Irish compatriot Sean O’Brien at openside flanker, Gatland has given himself a mobile back-row rather than one that will look to impose itself over the ball, with Warburton lying in wait among the replacements if needed.

Owen Farrell’s recovery from a thigh strain is no surprise, but the fact that the Saracens half-back starts the first Test without Johnny Sexton means Gatland has decided against rolling the dice and playing his two star playmakers in the same side.

open image in gallery

All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen predicted last week that Farrell would line up at inside centre, forcing the in-form Ben Te’o out of the squad, but Gatland has decided to keep the 25-year-old at No 10 and leave Sexton out of the starting line-up, despite his impressive performances against the Crusaders and Maori.

However, Gatland saved his biggest shock for last. Not only is George North left out of the matchday 23, but Liam Williams gets the nod ahead of Leigh Halfpenny at full-back, with both Williams and Elliot Daly asked to back-up from Tuesday’s emphatic victory over the Chiefs.

Farrell will take on kicking duties in Halfpenny’s absence, though the back-three selection displays a desire to attack the All Blacks in the first Test rather than one that can resist their creative style that tore Samoa to shreds last Friday.

open image in gallery

Hansen has elected to split apart the successful centre partnership that was Sonny Bill Williams and Anton Lienert-Brown, with the latter replaced in the starting line-up by fit-again Crusaders centre Ryan Crotty.

Reiko Ioane is named on the left wing ahead of wrecking-ball back Waisake Naholo, while both Aaron Cruden and Lima Sopoaga are named on the bench with a decision set to be made over the fly-half cover on Friday.