Tour captain Sam Warburton has been relegated to the bench for the British and Irish Lions clash against the Maori All Blacks on Saturday, just a week before the first Test.
Munster and Ireland’s Peter O’Mahony will take over as captain for a match the tourists regard as an “unofficial fourth Test”.
Fly-half Owen Farrell, who was also named on the bench, was later withdrawn with a minor thigh strain and replaced by Dan Biggar.
There was no comment on Farrell’s chances of being fit for the first Test.
Warburton led the Lions to a disappointing 23-22 loss to the Highlanders midweek and coach Warren Gatland opted instead to hand flanker O’Mahony the skipper’s armband.
“Peter is a proven captain with Munster,” Gatland said ahead of the match in Rotorua.
“He never takes a backward step and we believe that those leadership qualities will serve us well on Saturday against a quality and determined Maori All Blacks team.”
The Irishman is the fourth player to captain the Lions on tour after Warburton, Ken Owens and Alun Wyn Jones.
The tourists are looking to bounce back after their second defeat of the tour and Gatland’s selection against the Maori team is expected to be close to his first-choice side.
If it is, then losing the Test captaincy would be a huge blow to Warburton, who led the Lions to a series win in Australia in 2013 but has struggled for form recently after a run of injuries.
Leigh Halfpenny replaces the injured Stuart Hogg at fullback, while Liam Williams makes way for Anthony Watson on the wing.
However lock Wyn Jones, who captained against the Crusaders, did not even make the matchday 23, with Gatland preferring England’s Maro Itoje in the second row backed by Iain Henderson on the bench.
The three-Test series begins on June 24.
LIONS (15-1): Leigh Halfpenny (Toulon/WAL); Anthony Watson (Bath/ENG), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets/WAL), Ben Te’o (Worcester/ENG), George North (Northampton/ENG); Johnny Sexton (Leinster/IRL), Conor Murray (Munster/IRL); Taulupe Faletau (Bath/WAL), Sean O’Brien (Leinster/IRL), Peter O’Mahony (capt – Munster/IRL); George Kruis, Saracens/ENG), Maro Itoje (Saracens/ENG); Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/IRL), Jamie George (Saracens/ENG), Mako Vunipola (Saracens/ENG)
REPLACEMENTS: Ken Owens (Scarlets/WAL), Jack McGrath (Leinster/IRL), Kyle Sinckler(Harlequins/ENG), Iain Henderson (Ulster/IRL), Sam Warburton (Cardiff/WAL), Greig Laidlaw (Gloucester/SCO), Dan Biggar (Ospreys/WAL), Elliot Daly (Wasps/ENG)
