Sam Warburton, who has skippered the British and Irish Lions on two tours, has picked the Test team he would select if there were to be a Lions tour happening this summer.
The former Welsh captain, who was speaking to Rugby Pass, also selected current Ireland boss head coach Andy Farrell as boss for the team.
“He has had the natural progression to it," said Warburton.
"He has been an England assistant, an Irish assistant, an Irish head, a Lions assistant – the natural progression for him would be a Lions head.
“For me that would make sense and given his track record recently, he has been on two Lions tours, knows what Lions tours are about, has worked in two home nations, is a part of a Grand Slam and potentially a team that is almost certainly going to be at least a World Cup semi-finalist and potential winners, he has ticked all the boxes so far for me.”
Sam Warburton's 2023 Lions XV
Back-three:
Hugo Keenan (Ireland)
Mack Hansen (Ireland)
Warburton on Hansen: "I’m thinking between (Anthony) Watson/(Mack) Hansen and would probably have to go with Hansen, he has got a bit more form."
Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland)
Centres:
Garry Ringrose (Ireland)
Warburton on Ringrose: " I really like him. He has got proper gas but defensively at 13, I have been watching quite closely and we are seeing so many teams that run that frontline runner and back option and loads of people are just getting sucked in on that front one which opens up the space in the back."
Sione Tuipulotu (Scotland)
Halfbacks:
Johnny Sexton (Ireland)
Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland)
Warburton on Gibson-Park: "“My nine, I’d have to go with (Jamison) Gibson-Park. He only played one game but when he is up and running, he would be the nine."
Front-row:
Pierre Schoeman (Scotland)
Dan Sheehan (Ireland)
Tadhg Furlong (Ireland)
Second-row:
James Ryan (Ireland)
Ollie Chessum (England)
Warburton on Chessum: "Very mobile, athletic, aggressive, good lineout operator, works really hard in defence, not just from a tackle perspective but at the ruck as well trying to be a nuisance with counter rucking.
“I just thought he looked very comfortable at Test level, I just thought he looked very good. All the England players had a hiccup against France but take that game out of it, I thought he had an excellent campaign."
Back-row:
Courtney Lawes (England)
Josh van der Flier (Ireland)
Caelan Doris (Ireland)
