Lions 2017: sam warburton insists side will not use jetlag as an excuse as they prepare for tour opener

Gavin Mairs Rugby News Correspondent, Auckland 31 May 2017 9:46am BST Sam Warburton has insisted his side will not use jetlag as an excuse for their performance against the New Zealand

Barbarians on Saturday despite enduring a draining 36-hour journey from London. The Lions were forced to fly to Auckland via Melbourne because of their sponsorship by Australian airline

Qantas and chose to check into a hotel near the airport to break up the journey to allow the players to get some sleep before the extra leg of their journey. Warren Gatland's squad

arrived in Melbourne at 9pm (Australian time) on Tuesday but rather than fly straight on to Auckland, checked in to the Park Royal Hotel. But the squad still faced a 4.30am wake-up call,

however, in order to make their three-and-a-half hour flight to Auckland on Wednesday morning. The squad took part in swimming and recovery session after their arrival in New Zealand, where

the squad were greeted by a traditional Maori 'Hongi' meeting at Auckland airport. But jetlag protocol means that the squad will only be able to do light training on Thursday

before the captain's run on Friday ahead of the opening game of the 10-match tour at the Toll Stadium in Whangerei. Lions 2017: Will this be the starting XV for the first match against

New Zealand Provincial Barbarians? John Spencer, the Lions tour manager, expressed disappointment at the lack of preparation time for the squad, who only came together for the first time on

Sunday following the Premiership and Pro 12 finals. "The only thing we're disappointed in on the domestic side is the preparation time, we're trying to fit six weeks'

preparation into a couple of weeks with only part of our squad," said Spencer. "So that aspect is disappointing, but that's our lot, that's what we have to react

to." Warburton, who is expected to captain the side for the opening game on Saturday having made a full recovery from a knee injury that forced him to miss the end of Cardiff's

season, however insisted the demands of the travel should not affect their performance. British and Irish Lions 2017 grid “I've probably had more sleep in the last three days than I

would at home because of my 11-month old baby," said Warburton, who became a father for the first time last July following the birth of his daughter Anna Victoria. "I thought it

was smart to stop in Melbourne. That helped with jet-lag. "We've got plenty of time to get ready for the game on Saturday. Jet lag will not be an excuse for that.  "You

don't have a lot of time to think between games, like you would in an international week. You enjoy them because they come so quick. Once we get into that first game it’s all guns

blazing and looking forward to it. "It’s been surprising to see how quickly guys pick up calls. You’ve got the best and most intelligent players out of the four nations. Today’s

obviously a really easy day but we’re doing line-out sessions, but we’re not jumping. The guys are picking it up quickly who were in the finals. There’s no excuse not to get the calls now.

You’ve got it on your phones and laptops, it’s drip-fed to you during the day." Lions arrive in Auckland to traditional haka welcome Warburton, who missed the start of the 2013 tour of

Australia because of injury, said he was keen to be involved in the first game, claiming it would set the tone for the tour - but admitted they were prepared to lose one of the warm-up games

if it helped them win the three-match Test series against the All Blacks.   Gatland is due to name his starting XV on Wednesday night UK time against a NZ Barbarians side that is likely to

include Gatland's son Bryn. "It’s all about the Test series," Warburton added. "They are important to win, you get a good feeling, but we've got to realise that the

next three, four weeks are big learning weeks for us. It's going to take a little while to get our processes right.  “Some of the guys next week will have their first hit-out against

one of the best club sides in the world. It will take time to develop. There’ll be a lot of learning in the next three or four weeks. We just need to get better and better after each

fixture. "That's obviously really important, a winning style is more important than a losing style. But it's much easier in training after a win. We've all gone through

losses and all bounced back from them so it wouldn't be the end of the world, but the number-one priority is to win. New Zealand’s 33-man squad: Are these the All Blacks that will face

the Lions? "The good thing is when the first game gets underway they start coming think and fast. It's nice to get that first game under your belt. Once we get into that first game

it's all guns blazing from there. "I think I was the last guy in that squad to play a game (in 2013) and I was pretty jealous, I’d see the guys’ red jerseys coming back in laundry

nice and clean and they’d actually got the jersey. That’s just what you want to get in your kit bag and actually say you’d played for the Lions on this tour so obviously I’m desperate to be

involved in this game." Spencer, despite the concerns over the preparation time, said the Lions were happy with the schedule, which had been set by the New Zealand Rugby Football

Union, which includes games against Super Rugby sides Auckland Blues and Canterbury Crusaders within four days next week. “It would be a pointless exercise coming to New Zealand to play the

best team in the world, and trying to play them having played mediocre opposition," Spencer added. “So the fact that we're playing Super Rugby sides is exactly what the coaches

want, to prepare sides for the Test." Ken Owens, the Wales hooker, is expected to miss the tour opener because of an ankle injury that forced him to miss playing for the Scarlets in the

semifinal and final of the Pro 12. He is expected to return to full training next week and is likely to feature against the Crusaders on June 10. Owens said: "I've got a couple

more boxes to tick, but hopefully [I'll be] fit for the second or third game." Lions 2017: Will this be the starting XV for the first match against New Zealand Provincial

Barbarians?