Gatland left with midfield dilemma

Picking a midfield combination for their Tests against the All Blacks could be the biggest selection headache for the British and Irish Lions.

That was the word from their head coach, Warren Gatland, when he named his team for Saturday’s clash with the Crusaders in Christchurch.

Gatland is excited about the prospect of seeing Ben Te’o and Jonathan Davies in tandem against Super Rugby’s tabletoppers but admitted that the battle for midfield positions could pose him a serious selection conundrum.

“It will be interesting to see how they go, Ben went very well in that first game,” said Gatland of Te’o and Davies.

“We picked Ben because he’s got more to his game than just crashing up.

“He’s got offloading ability, good footwork, he’s explosive over a short space. And he’s a good, strong defensive player, particularly at 12.

“And Jonathan’s been playing very well recently in the last few weeks for the Scarlets. He brings that experience.

“When it comes to picking the Test side, that’s probably going to be one of the hardest to pick, getting that combination right.

“You’ve got Jared Payne, Robbie Henshaw, Jonathan Joseph, and we could put Elliot Daly in there. I’m looking forward to seeing him getting another run-out as well.

“So it’s going to be one of the toughest calls on the tour, getting the balance and the combination right.”