SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: Maro Itoje needs time to put his stamp on this Lions team - leaving him out after the Argentina defeat doesn't make sense

After the defeat by Argentina, I’d have thought it would have been important to give Lions skipper Maro Itoje the chance to get off to a winning foot in Australia this weekend.

I’m surprised he’s not in the team to face Western Force. If I was in Andy Farrell’s shoes, I’d have started the England captain in Perth.

I have a saying that it’s easy to make these sorts of comments from the green seats. As coach, Farrell will have his reasoning on selection. And it’s not necessarily a bad decision to not involve Itoje.

However, I’m sure the second row would like to be playing. Even without Itoje, the Lions have named a strong 23 for their tour opener Down Under.

I expect Farrell’s side to win and win well. And that’s why I think Itoje would want to be part of it.

If the Lions had beaten Argentina, I wouldn’t be saying this. Captaining the team for the first time would have been a hugely proud moment for Itoje, as well as for all the players who were making Lions debuts.

That’s why I’m sure it would have been a huge disappointment to have lost the game.

As captain of the Lions, you’re the main person driving team meetings and the messaging throughout the week. Itoje is clearly very good at that.

He’s been an exceptional captain for England since taking over that role from Jamie George. But any leader wants to put their stamp on the team.

That’s why I’d have allowed him the chance to continue to do that against the Western Force.

Even the best players who have seen and done it all benefit from the confidence a win provides and Itoje falls into that bracket.

Farrell said today that Itoje isn’t injured. He emphasised the need to look at other players and to make sure they’re up to speed in case other locks have to cover for Itoje further down the line.

I take that point and, to repeat, as coach Farrell is entirely justified to have his own opinions. Mine, however, differs slightly.

It seems clear that barring injury, Itoje will be the Test captain against Australia and rightly so.

With that in mind, as the Lions settle into the tour, I think it would be a good thing for him stay consistent as the leader of the Saturday team.

That will give him some good playing rhythm building into the Tests with Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies.

I can’t see Itoje playing many, if any, of the midweek matches.

So, he may well not feature again until the game with the New South Wales Waratahs on July 5. I don’t have any concerns about Itoje being undercooked personally.

But for the Lions to come together as quickly as possible – and the Argentina game showed they’re not there quite yet – I just think the team would benefit from having their tour captain on the field as much as possible.

Such a statement is not meant to disparage any of the other players selected, including Ireland’s Dan Sheehan who is captain this weekend.

Far from it, in fact. I think the team selected for Western Force is far better than the one which played in Dublin. There are 13 changes from the Argentina game.

The presence of a heavy Leinster contingent gives a mean look to the squad. I’m excited by the centre pairing and the back-row combination.

One concern is that Jamison Gibson-Park isn’t included. The Lions keep saying he’s progressing well from a glute injury.

But until we see the No 9 on the field, he’s a worry. I’m looking forward to seeing Tomos Williams who gets a great chance to impress at scrum-half in his place.