Thursday 3 August 2017 14:26, UK
Former Lions tourist Will Greenwood has backed Ireland flanker Peter O'Mahony to captain Warren Gatland's side in their first Test against New Zealand on Saturday at Eden Park.
The blindside captained the Lions in their 32-10 victory over the Maori All Blacks last Saturday, and should he lead the side out against the All Blacks, it would cap a remarkable turnaround in fortunes for the man who only started one Six Nations clash last campaign.
Having missed the entirety of the 2015/16 season due to an ACL knee injury picked up at the 2015 World Cup, O'Mahony did not start a 2017 Six Nations game until the final weekend against England.
A late call-up to the starting XV after Jamie Heaslip's injury in the warm-up, O'Mahony thrived against Eddie Jones' then unbeaten charges and such was the calibre of his display, forced his way into Gatland's 41-man Lions touring party.
And Greenwood, who toured with the Lions in 1997, 2001 and 2005, now says he expects the Munsterman to start in the backrow alongside Sean O'Brien and Taulupe Faletau, ahead of tour skipper Sam Warburton, and lead the side out as captain no less.
"If we keep going back to this aerial battle, this mauling, this driving, this power game that the Lions might bring, then we look to Peter O'Mahony to wear the number six jersey and the captains armband," Greenwood told Sky Sports News HQ.
"It's strange to think that he wasn't due to play against England in the Six Nations' final game, Jamie Heaslip just tweaked his back before in the warm-up.
"O'Mahony was called-up, on he went, and was exceptional in that game. He was the decisive factor between England and Ireland that day.
"He got awarded the captaincy against the Maori All Blacks, and led brilliantly. It was a super win, the biggest win against the Maori's I think since 1930, so a special day.
"Sean O'Brien is likely. He's had big tour at 7. Hugely powerful, very forceful. And under Andy Farrell, leading from the front defensively has been O'Brien.
"Faletau has taken his opportunity. The pre-tour favourite for the No 8 berth would have been Billy Vunipola, but he's not made the trip. Faletau has stepped up and was another who was exceptional in the third Test four years ago.
"I'm beginning to think their won't be a huge amount of change from the XV that played against the Maori."
Other areas of selection contention are the back three and second-row, with Elliot Daly, Liam Williams and Jack Nowell all impressing against the Chiefs on Tuesday, and putting pressure on under-par Wales wing George North. Though Greenwood predicts the powerful wideman will retain his place.
Among the locks, pre-tour favourite Alun Wyn Jones is another who could miss out according to Greenwood, who says Maro Itoje is playing too well to leave out.
"So we get down to North and Daly," Greenwood added. "There's not a lot more Elliot Daly could have done to force his way into this XV.
"One suspects the muscle memory that Warren Gatland has with George North, the power he showed against [Israel] Folau in 2013, the defensive prowess he's shown on this tour in short, sharp glimpses and his sheer bulk when you consider that down his channel could be coming [Julian] Savea, [Waisake] Naholo, [Israel] Dagg or Sonny Bill Williams, Gatland may be tempted I think to go with North.
"Elliot will get the number 23 jersey I think. He's got a wonderful left-foot, an absolute cannon of a boot when it comes to taking penalties and could find his way onto the field after 60 minutes. I've been watching him bang them over from his own 10 metre line before games.
"But the back three from what's gone on so far is likely to be Leigh Halfpenny at full-back, man of the series from 2013, [Anthony] Watson on the right wing and [George] North on the left, with Daly being the sort of utility back on the bench and will probably get the nod over Jonathan Joseph. There is intrigue across the XV.
"In the second-row, [Courtney] Lawes has performed extremely well and [Iain] Henderson has made a massive impact. The one non-negotiable in the second-row is George Kruis. The king of the lineout.
"I think the Lions can dominate that and apply pressure to [Sam] Whitelock and [Brodie] Retallick, the best second-row combination in the world for the last two to three years.
"That tends to suggest it will then be Itoje or Alun Wyn Jones. If you'd asked Warren before the tour, it would have been Jones, and Itoje as impact off the bench, but it's getting almost impossible not to pick Itoje.
"He's picking from a squad of riches in that second-row department but again all likeliness would be a Saracens combination of Itoje and Kruis. They've conquered the northern hemisphere, now can they conquer the southern hemisphere? But what a man to come off the bench, the captain of the third test in 2013, the great Alun Wyn [Jones].
