The last thing that Warren Gatland thought he'd have to do before flying to South Africa this week was appointing a new captain. If it is going to be a tough call for the coach, just think how poor old Alun Wyn Jones must be feeling.
It was great seeing him on the pitch at the end of the win over Japan and smiling with his teammates. That's the measure of the man – the team comes first and foremost.
Warren Gatland has opted for Conor Murray to take the captain's armband but there were a good number of candidates.
Ken Owens took over at Murrayfield after AWJ's departure in the eighth minute, however he is not guaranteed his Test spot ahead of Jamie George. England skipper Owen Farrell is the most experienced leader in the squad, but there were question marks over his leadership during the Six Nations. Many people were predicting it would be Maro Itoje who would step up after the 2017 tour to lead the Lions, but he hasn't graduated into the English hot seat as yet and so is pretty much untested as a skipper. But he is certainly a player who you would expect to get into the Test team.
Gatland could have done worse than consider two of the players who played so well against Japan and guided the team in Edinburgh, Iain Henderson and Dan Biggar.
Henderson has led both Ulster and Ireland and has grown into a very solid second row, a position in which Gatland likes to have a captain.
As for Biggar, his man-of-the-match display proved he could well be the man to both motivate and tactical guide the Lions around the field in South Africa. His partnership with Murray was one of the biggest take-aways for Gatland and his coaching team.
They linked superbly well and their kicking out of hand was top notch. So, too, was the majority of the Lions performance against a very gutsy and determined Japanese side.
This felt much more of a challenge than the 2005 warm-up match against Argentina in Cardiff. On that occasion the Pumas were well below strength because of club commitment, whereas Jamie Joseph's side were virtually at full strength.
They gave the Lions a great challenge and the physicality was right on the button ahead of their proper tour matches in South Africa. They kept on coming, they kept on threatening, yet found the Lions in no mood to give them anything.
And that's what I liked most about the performance. Whereas in 2005 we were just about getting to know each other on the field, these Lions looked as though they had been playing together for years.
Gatland and his coaching crew have obviously used their preparation time in Jersey to good effect.
Many of the minor details that can sometimes take two or three games to sort out were very much in evidence.
The set-piece functioned superbly well; the exits were clean an clinical; the kick-off receipts were well drilled and the understanding of the team was brilliant. They all looked to be on the same wavelength.
It was great to see the two wings score on their debuts and it was delightful pass from Biggar that put Tadhg Beirne into space and cantering to the posts for his try. He made a big impression wearing the No.6 jersey and can offer so much to the forward effort.
I thought he was a major success story, as was his Irish colleague Jack Conan. He may have been one of the bolters in selection, but he settled into the side perfectly and was a real handful moving forward.
All in all, it was a job well done and a very successful exercise. The other thing it did for the Lions was allow them to hear from their fans. The 16,000 at Murrayfield certainly made their presence felt and the squad may be heading to South Africa without their first choice leader, but they will fly with the cry of ‘Lions, Lions' in their ears.
Just how many red shirted devotees of the Lions will make it into the grounds in South Africa is yet to be determined, but I think this team can travel knowing the fans of the four nations are well and truly behind them.
And I think the fans can look forward to a good tour. Gatland has said he will give everyone a shot in the opening three games and so the performances in the next two games will be critical as the players jostle for position.
As far as I'm concerned, there are at least eleven of the team that started in Edinburgh who could well line-up in the opening Test.
They looked so assured and tuned-in to what Gatland wants it is going to be hard to shift them now.
But Gats has promised everyone a fair shake and he will be true to his word, regardless of results. I can't wait to see how they get on, but as far as first impressions go they have started on the right foot.
One thing they will have to check, though, is their defence out wide. They were guilty of leaving too much space in the wider channels that allowed the Japanese dangermen to get outside them on occasion.
It's a new tour, with a new defence coach and a new defensive system. But they surely can't allow the Springbok wings Cheslin Kolbe and Makazole Mapimpi as much space in the Test series.
