British and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland has admitted that prop Mako Vunipola is unlucky to have missed out on a place in the side to face Australia at the weekend.
The Saracens man was widely expected to start the opening Test against the Wallabies after impressing during the warm-up matches of the tour, but will be forced to start on the bench following Alex Corbisiero's selection.
Gatland concedes that the 22-year-old is unfortunate to be starting as a replacement but is hoping that he can have a big impact when called into the action.
"Mako's pretty unlucky. We've looked at the weather conditions and there's a threat of showers," Gatland told BBC Sport.
"No doubt [Australia coach] Robbie Deans has looked at Mako technically at scrum time. Mako coming off the bench will give us impetus, but Alex is better technically and will give us the edge in the scrum.
"Alex might also prove to be a better combination with Tom Youngs and Adam Jones, but there's no doubt Mako will have an impact."
The Lions face Australia in the first Test of the series on Saturday in Brisbane.
Matt Cotton
