Conor Murray in as captain as Warren Gatland turns thoughts to first test

Lions coach names a team retaining four starters from the Sharks match at the weekend for the 'toughest game' so far against South Africa A.

SKIPPER: Conor Murray to captain Lions on Wednesday.

Tour captain Conor Murray will lead the British & Irish Lions on Wednesday against South Africa A, a contest at Cape Town Stadium described by Warren Gatland as the tourists’ toughest encounter to date on this trip.

Munster and Ireland scrum-half Murray was a second-half replacement in Saturday’s 71-31 victory over the Cell C Sharks in Pretoria and finished the game in the sin-bin following a late yellow card but he will start for the first time since the pre-tour Test win over Japan at Murrayfield after Gatland on Monday named a team retaining four starters from the Sharks rematch at the weekend.