Dylan Hartley set to be snubbed by Warren Gatland to become Lions captain with Sam Warburton retaining the armband
After captaining England to Six Nations success, Hartley is set to miss out on the role as skipper for the Lions tour
LIONS boss Warren Gatland downplayed Dylan Hartley's captaincy chances as he talked up Wales' Sam Warburton.
Hartley lead England to back-to-back Six Nations Grand Slams but the 84-capped hooker is still a question-mark for a tour spot with understudy Jamie George seen as a better all-round player.
Red Rose skipper Hartley was hooked for Saracens European Cup and Premiership winner George in EVERY tournament game.
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The 30-year-old, who missed out on the 2013 tour with a ban, never made it past 55 minutes of play as he averaged just 52 minutes per Test over five games.
Kiwi Gatland said: "They took Dylan off early in Dublin after 55 minutes or so, making early changes. They rate Jamie George highly and there’s a huge amount of competition in a number of positions, particularly in England.
"When you look at the captain, if I was going to pick a Test team tomorrow you want to be picking a captain of the Lions who you’re reasonably confident will be in the Test team.
"That’s one of the criteria, it’s not a guarantee but it is a criteria. Dylan’s done a really good job, but he knows he’s under pressure from Jamie George and a lot of people rate Jamie highly.
"That’s going to be interesting for us and there’s also Rory Best who’s done well with Ireland, Ken Owens has a good Six Nations for Wales – there’s a fair bit of competition about the captaincy and also the hooker position."
Flanker Warburton stood down as captain of the Dragons this year with Alun Wyn Jones taking over.
But after leading the Lions to a series win in Australia four years ago Warburton is in the running for the top job yet again.
Gatland said: "You have to feel for Sam a bit.
"There’s so much scrutiny in Wales, it’s the ultimate fishbowl and people look at every situation. You have to feel for Sam, looking at other countries in the world like New Zealand or Ireland where they celebrate having two quality No 7s and Wales have that.
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"But rather than saying how lucky they are they create a controversy about Tipuric and Warburton over who’s going to be selected and they put the players under a lot of pressure.
"I think he had enough of it, being there and gave up the captaincy to play and not be scrutinised every week. In fairness for Sam, he’s played very well and had a great Six Nations.
"He’s a different captain to other players, he leads by example, doesn’t say a lot and he’s had that experience and he’s in contention, definitely."
Gatland names his Lions squad in London on April 19 and is off on another recipe to New Zealand this month.
He will then meet up with his coaches - Rob Howley, Steve Borthwick, Andy Farrell, Graham Rowntree and Neil Jenkins to pick his squad for the 10-game trip that kicks off in June.
Gatland added: "After the Six Nations there’s a bit of reflection, looking at that and who are the guys who can handle that pressure and perform away from home.
"I know probably half the squad I think. We’ve met as coaches and the selection isn’t just mine, it’s making sure as coaches we pick the squad.
"We’ll meet this week and talk about the Six Nations and the players in every position. We’re not really finalising it at the moment, but we’re talking about it and we’ll be meeting frequently over the next few weeks.
"There’s quite a bit to go through. The hardest thing is normally the last four or five players, with the right personalities, people who are going to be good tourists and that’s sometimes the hardest selection.
"The first 25/30 players are easy, but it’s getting the last four or five which is a challenge. There are at least a dozen players we have to really discuss.
"Those are the debating positions. It’s a nice position to be in as we have lots of options and lots of players that have done well and it’s not going to be who we select, but also the disappointment for those who miss out."