Lions team to face New Zealand: Ian McGeechan backs three CRUCIAL changes for second Test
FORMER British and Irish Lions coach Ian McGeechan believes tour captain Sam Warburton heads the list of players Warren Gatland should bring into the team for the second Test against New Zealand.
Ian McGeechan would recall Sam Warburton to the Lions team to face New Zealand
The Lions were brushed aside in a 30-15 defeat in Auckland last Saturday as the All Blacks outplayed them in almost every area.
But McGeechan believes the ruck was the problem against the Kiwis and Warburton can make the difference.
"The experience from Saturday has to be brought into this game," McGeechan told Sky Sports, defending his hypothetical decision to make no more than three changes to the starting XV.
"If you make too many changes, you're starting again.
"But the breakdowns were the difference in the Test match for me.
"You want Warburton on because of the breakdown.
"He'll challenge and he'll be the second man there - I wouldn't play him at seven because I thought O'Brien had a good game.
"You've got to get at New Zealand and slow the ball down."
Maro Itoje came off the bench against New Zealand and impressed for the Lions
McGeechan, who was the head coach on a record four Lions tours, only wants his successor Gatland to make two other changes, with Courtney Lawes and Maro Itoje replacing Alun Wyn Jones and George Kruis.
"It's a completely new second row but I think that one of the reasons the Lions have to do it is they have to have these powerful players going through the ball, accelerating the breakdown, carrying the ball and they've played together as a pair for England," McGeechan added.
"Itoje when he came on in the first Test really did get among the All Black forwards.
"He turned ball over, made some great tackles and knocked them back.
Courtney Lawes looks set to break into the Lions starting XV for the second Test
"He took the momentum out of them."
Otherwise, the Scot wants to retain a "solid" front row who he believes will have learned a lot from the first Test.
And while he would also not change the backs, he does have some advice for scrum-half Conor Murray.
"I'd tell Conor Murray to have a little dig and get players coming off him," McGeechan said.
"He needs to get across, get at the second defender and try to pull somebody on your inside shoulder.
"He needs to force New Zealand to stay a bit tighter on him and make space for others."
Ian McGeechan's British and Irish Lions team to face New Zealand
Lions XV: Liam Williams, Anthony Watson, Jonathan Davies, Ben Te'o, Elliot Daly; Owen Farrell, Conor Murray; Mako Vunipola, Jamie George, Tadgh Furlong, Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes, Sam Warburton, Sean O'Brien, Taulupe Faletau.
Replacements: Ken Owens, Jack McGrath, Kyle Sinckler, Iain Henderson, George Kruis, Rhys Webb, Johnny Sexton, Jack Nowell.