Warburton hopes All Blacks scalp secures Lions future

Sam Warburton hopes Saturday’s thrilling victory over New Zealand will silence any lingering doubts over the future of the British and Lions.

The Lions triumphed 24-21 in Wellington in a pulsating game of rugby that saw the hosts play a large part of the game with 14 men following a red card to Sonny Bill Williams for an ugly shoulder charge.

It was the Lions’ first Test victory against New Zealand since 1993 and means the three-match series is all to play for in next week’s Auckland decider.

At times the legitimacy of Lions tours have been called into question by some observers, but captain Warburton says representing the Lions is the pinnacle of a player’s career.

“Whatever happens we will come back with some credibility, but I want to get the job done and bring the series home,” he said.

“We can’t stress how important the Lions is for players. It is the absolute pinnacle of our careers. The Test matches are really important, and getting wins keeps it alive for the fans.

“It’s great that we managed to put that performance into the jersey and hopefully that will keep the Lions going for at least another four years.”

The Lions managed to prevent the fearsome All Blacks from scoring a try, something that Warburton was particularly proud of.

“I hadn’t realised we hadn’t conceded a try; that is an incredible achievement,” Warburton added.

“I’m very proud of that defensive effort. You can talk tactics as much as you like, but sometimes it’s about desire to get off line and put in some hits.”