Still time for Lions hopefuls

There is a line of thought that if the British & Irish Lions are to win the series against Australia this summer, they will need a quality No 7 - and they don't come any better than Sam Warburton, says Warren Gatland.

The Lions coach, in town to witness his first Hong Kong Sevens as a guest of Lions sponsor HSBC, was playing his cards close to his chest, and refused to be drawn on who will captain the touring side, but he was effusive in his praise for the Wales backrower, especially after his performance against England last week.

"He played superbly against England coming back from injury. I rate him as a genuine 7 and the fact that he played 6 against England as well means he can cover a couple of positions [on tour]," Gatland said.

"He is one of a number of players in contention for the captaincy and very well respected, but I'm not going to make that decision so far out. It is about picking a squad first and then see who we think will be a starting player, and that's most important."

If admiration and respect are ingredients a captain must have from his peers as well as the coaching staff, then Warburton appears favourite for the role when Gatland announces his squad on April 30. The Lions will stop over in Hong Kong on their way to Australia, playing the Barbarians on June I at Hong Kong Stadium.

The 30-3 win by Wales over England not only cemented Warburton's credentials with Gatland, but it also opened his eyes to a new thought process. Before the Six Nations climax, things had been heavily England-oriented, even though Gatland had created controversy by saying touring English players brought a lot of baggage with them and would put pressure on the tour party as a whole.