Sam Warburton will not start for Wales against Italy © Getty Images

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Players/Officials: Sam Warburton

Tournaments/Tours: British and Irish Lions tour | Six Nations

Teams: British and Irish Lions | Wales

Wales flanker Sam Warburton is adamant that his focus is solely on the Six Nations and the British & Irish Lions tour is not on his radar at the moment.

Warburton will not start for Wales against Italy on Saturday with interim coach Rob Howley opting to start the same XV that defeated France on February 9. That team saw Justin Tipuric getting the nod at openside while Ryan Jones packed down at blindside.

Warburton is expected to be on the bench, if he has recovered from the shoulder injury that forced him out of the reckoning for the clash with Les Bleus, and his absence from the XV is deemed by some to come as a huge blow for his Lions aspirations.

But Warburton will not allow himself to be distracted by any Lions matters, especially during a Six Nations campaign.

"It's something I will just have to bat off," he said. "I have got enough on my plate at the moment. It (Lions selection) is going to be, for any player involved, a special moment. But no-one is mentioning the 'L word'. The focus in this Six Nations camp is purely on the next match, and if there was any talk on that (Lions), players would be the first ones to give someone a slap in the face."

Howley took the slightly unusual decision to confirm his XV for the clash with the Azzurri well in advance of the match, but Warburton believes it was the correct decision.

"It was a great win out in France - I thought the team were absolutely awesome," he added. "And I thought it was good when they announced the team early because it has given us extra time to prepare.

"It was quite a smart call and we might as well take advantage of this two-week break in Six Nations games. We have had eight or 10 sessions, rather than maybe three, perhaps. It should be one of the best-prepared we have been for a match because we have had that extra time together."