O'Mahony pips Warburton to lead Lions against All Blacks

Sam Warburton has been left out of the British and Irish Lions starting team for Saturday's first Test against New Zealand.

The Ireland flanker has won selection ahead of tour skipper Sam Warburton, who takes a seat on the bench for the weekend’s Eden Park clash.

Saturday’s Auckland showdown now becomes the first time a tour captain has not led the Lions in an opening Test since England’s Doug Prentice missed out in 1930.

Liam Williams has been preferred to Leigh Halfpenny at full-back, while Elliot Daly starts on the left-wing in an attacking back-three.

“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,” said Lions head coach Warren Gatland. “The win against the Chiefs was also extremely important for the squad and some players played themselves into the side.

“We have continuously been strong at set-piece and have been good defensively in the last two or three outings.

“But to beat the All Blacks you have to be courageous and play some rugby – you have to score tries and I think we have picked a team capable of doing that,” he added.

Cardiff and Wales flanker Warburton has scrambled for full match sharpness ever since suffering an ankle problem in the tour-opening 13-7 win over the Provincial Barbarians.

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

O’Mahony has spent the last 18 months battling persistent knee problems, but has forced a resurgence since the end of the season.

That was all kick-started when Jamie Heaslip suffered a back  injury in the warm-up to the March 18 clash with England in Dublin.

British and Irish Lions team: L Williams (Wales); A Watson (England), J Davies (Wales), B Te’o, E Daly; O Farrell (all England), C Murray (Ireland); M Vunipola, J George (both England), T Furlong (Ireland), AW Jones (Wales), G Kruis (England), P O’Mahony (capt), S O’Brien (both Ireland), T Faletau (Wales).

Replacements: K Owens (Wales), J McGrath (Ireland), K Sinckler, M Itoje (both England), S Warburton, R Webb (both Wales), J Sexton (Ireland), L Halfpenny (Wales).

New Zealand team: B Smith; I Dagg, R Crotty, S B Williams, R Ioane; B Barrett, A Smith; J Moody, C Taylor, O Franks, B Retallick, S Whitelock, J Kaino, S Cane, K Read (capt).

Replacements: N Harris, W Crockett, C Faumuina, S Barrett, A Savea, TJ Perenara, A Cruden or L Sopoaga, A Lienert-Brown.