Gatland weighs up Lions midfield selection quandary

Warren Gatland conceded he will find it difficult to nail down his selections for the British and Irish Lions’ midfield when the first Test with New Zealand rolls around later this month.

The Lions, who lost to Super Rugby strugglers the Blues on Wednesday, have four more warm-up matches in which Gatland will try to figure out his strongest line-up.

But it is at centre that the coach believes he will have the hardest time picking the most effective combination to take on the All Blacks, with Ben Te’o and Jonathan Davies handed the chance to impress in Saturday’s clash with the Crusaders.

“It will be interesting to see how they go, Ben went very well in that first game [against New Zealand’s Provincial Barbarians],” said Gatland of Te’o and Davies.

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

📷🎥✏️Media duties for the Lions after arrival into Christchurch, ahead of #CRUvBIL on Saturday #LionsNZ2017 #AllForOne pic.twitter.com/NHIzzOuuDc

— British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) June 8, 2017

“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.”

The first meeting of the three-Test series takes place in Auckland on June 24.