Sam Warburton names the four Lions who impressed him as one star proves him wrong

Wales Online

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Sam Warburton names the four Lions who impressed him as one star proves him wrong
'I just hope he doesn't fall victim too much to what Justin Tipuric suffered with Wales,' explained Sam Warburton.
The British & Irish Lions won the series 2-1 in Australia
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Wales legend Sam Warburton has identified four British and Irish Lions stars who impressed him most, with one back-rower proving him wrong Down Under this summer. The Lions wrapped up the Australia series with a game to spare for the first time since 1997, but lost the final Test in Sydney.
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Now that the tour has concluded, players will head back to their respective clubs to prepare for the new club season, with the autumn internationals coming up in November. Writing in his Times column, Warburton detailed how important it is for Lions players to rest enough before getting stuck into club rugby again.
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The former Cardiff Rugby flanker explained that when he returned from the 2017 series draw against New Zealand, Danny Wilson told him to take four weeks off before he even thought about returning.
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Warburton explains that some of the players returning from Australia will know their market value has risen massively, and one of those, he says, is Northampton Saints' rising star Henry Pollock.
Welsh icon Warburton explained that Pollock has shown he has the temperament to play Test rugby, but hopes he doesn't suffer the same fate as former Welsh flanker Justin Tipuric.
"I just hope he doesn't fall victim too much to what Justin Tipuric suffered with Wales," began Warburton.
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"Where for the first part of his career he was considered a good bench player because of his impact skills. Versatility can be a burden as well as a boon. But Pollock has come back with a huge amount of credibility."
The one player who surprised Warburton and many other Lions fans was Ireland blindside flanker Tadhg Beirne. There were plenty of options to choose from in the back row across Britain and Ireland, but Andy Farrell opted for the more experienced Beirne, who turned up for the big games.
"He proved a lot of people wrong, myself included, on that trip," said Warburton.
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"I thought Ollie Chessum would start instead, but it was undoubtedly the right call to go with Beirne."
Warburton went on to identify Ireland lock James Ryan as someone who brought the fire when it mattered most. He says he loved it when he came off the bench in the second Test and "for want of a gentler expression, just smashed people around".
Warburton says Ryan didn't surprise him by playing well, but was glad he earned a starting place in the third Test.
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"One player who came across really well was Ellis Genge," continued Warburton.
"You could tell that he was a player who had been desperate to get on a Lions tour, and deserved to, even if I remember him saying that it wasn't going to define his career if he didn't go."
Warburton went on to explain that despite Genge appearing to be quite confrontational from the outside looking in, he is a player that the Wales legend would have loved to have played with. "What a bloke," he added.
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The former Lions captain acknowledged the absence of Ireland flanker Josh van der Flier in any of the three Test teams, while praising "world class" Tom Curry and describing Jac Morgan as "excellent" in a talent-abundant back row.
Despite fearing a 3-0 whitewash to the Lions, Warburton concluded that it was "brilliant" how Australia responded, and he hopes the 2025 Lions collective look back on this tour as fondly as he does with his experiences. "Roll on New Zealand in 2029," he concluded.