Matt Dawson looks on the bright side of AWJ's withdrawal

Former England and Lions international Matt Dawson has hinted that the loss of inspirational captain Alun Wyn Jones may be a blessing in disguise as the Lions prepare to take on the World Champion Springboks. 

Jones left the field in the early stages of last weekend’s warm-up game against Japan at Murrayfield and it was later reported that he had sustained a dislocated shoulder which would rule him out of the tour. 

Head Coach Warren Gatland was swift to act in the wake of Jones’ injury, naming Ireland scrumhalf Conor Murray as his new captain. 

While the loss of Jones is great, Dawson believes it could work in the lions’ favour. 

 "I would not think for a minute that the squad are thinking losing Jones is the end of the world and their tour is finished," Dawson wrote  in a column for the BBC. 

"It is probably going to galvanise them and make them all realise it's a 40-man squad that is going to win them the series against the world champions. 

"There will be a part of Alun Wyn that will be desperately disappointed. For the captain, there is an iconic status ready to be grasped. 

"I think he has shown his class in the way that he still participated as much as he could after the Japan game, going on the pitch and collecting the trophy." 

As for the appointment of Conor Murray, Dawson appears optimistic. 

"He would have been on my list of possible choices," he continued. "But so would Maro Itoje, Owen Farrell, Stuart Hogg or Ken Owens. 

"Murray is not your archetypal cheeky-chappie scrum-half. He is more a politician, managerial-type of scrum-half. 

"I think his position is close enough to the action so that the referee has total respect for what he is talking about and Conor is world class."