NEW Zealand’s double World Cup winner Jerome Kaino expects more battles with Taulupe Faletau next summer when the former Newport Gwent Dragons star wears the red of the Lions.

The 25-year-old from Pontypool has been in top form for Wales against the All Blacks over the past fortnight but has been unable to prevent the world champions from going into an unassailable 2-0 series lead.

Faletau, who is joining Bath in the Aviva Premiership next season, will give it one last crack in the third and final international in Dunedin on Saturday morning (kick-off 8.35am) and Kaino expects another tough encounter.

“It’s been very tough with the back row the Welsh have got, Sam (Warburton) and Taulupe are world-class and Ross Moriarty has added a different dimension,” said Kaino.

“They were a handful, especially Taulupe off the back of scrums – he’s very explosive.”

Faletau scored a try in the 39-21 loss at Eden Park in Auckland and last weekend he carried the ball 16 times in the 36-22 defeat at ‘The Cake Tin’ in Wellington.

The number eight won his first British and Irish Lions cap after ousting Jamie Heaslip for the stunning 41-16 third Test win against Australia in 2013 and is highly likely to at least be a tourist to New Zealand.

Competition will be fierce throughout the back row next summer – with Faletau’s cousin, Pontypool-raised Billy Vunipola, putting in some monstrous displays at number eight for England – but Kaino predicts Warburton and the former Dragon will be in the squad.

“I expect them to be back,” said the Blues blindside to WalesOnline. “If you look at them the last couple of years, they have been the form back-rowers in the northern hemisphere.

“They are both in the top three in their positions in the world, so I don’t see why they wouldn’t be coming back.”