British & Irish Lions

Sam Warburton finds himself at the centre of media attention © Getty Images

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Two games down and the British & Irish Lions have amassed a combined total of 128 points to their opponents' 25. It has been straightforward, there are no two ways around it.

But Saturday's game against the Reds in Brisbane should be the run out Warren Gatland, the rest of his staff and players have yearned after. It is all very well talking up their respect for the opponents they have faced so far, but any rugby supporter worth their salt would have seen the superiority of the Lions in every facet of both games. The Reds should be a whole different proposition with Quade Cooper pulling the strings in a starting XV consisting of nine Wallabies.

Late on Thursday evening in Brisbane, the Lions, who flew in from Perth an hour or so before the press conference, named their squad for the match in the Suncorp Stadium. As has become customary on this tour, when the team is announced, Gatland and tour manager Andy Irvine are flanked by their chosen skipper at the top table. There is always a sense of anticipation in the room prior to their entrance - before the press conference, the media managers name the players who are available to radio, the writers and television. The captain, however, is just referred to as, 'the captain'.

Sam Warburton was the man tipped to be walking out alongside the management and the waiting press were not disappointed. While two Irishmen have worn the captain's armband on the tour so far, Warburton, who will become the 800th man to represent the Lions, walked confidently out in front of the waiting press and took his place in the middle chair of the three behind the top table.

The press conferences have taken place in a myriad of different locations so far with Perth's convention centre one base and the team's hotel in Hong Kong another.

Whether it was intentional or not, in light of the sterner opposition the Lions will face on Saturday, the location for Thursday's press conference was a level up on those before, it was housed in a posh members club in the heart of Brisbane. It was a place which has only just relaxed rules on attire with its predominantly male membership now not having to abide by the enforced collar and tie dress code.

While much of the attention over the past 24 hours revolved around Cian Healy and his citing and injury, Warburton is the perfect man to raise the Lions' PR back to where it was at the start of the tour. He spoke eloquently, with respect and is engaging when it comes to speaking to journalists. That's not to say the others are different, but Warburton's unique blend of youthful exuberance, humour and honesty makes him the perfect antithesis to the unsavoury headlines dominating the local news agenda following the Force match.

But the captain's likeable and endearing personality will count for little unless he delivers on the pitch. Gatland said Saturday's game is "big for Sam" and the captain is fully aware of this as well having sat in the stands and seen Justin Tipuric and Sean O'Brien excel in the openside berth in the first two matches.

"I wish the game was tomorrow really," Warburton said. "It has been tough to watch the last two games; the players have their shirt in their kit bag, but I haven't got one yet. I'm just dying to get out there."