‘Have four Lions captains’

LONDON: England coach Eddie Jones has a novel solution to the question of who should captain the British and Irish Lions on the tour against world champions New Zealand – make it a four-man job.

Several names are in the frame to be given the leading role by Lions coach Warren Gatland, including England skipper Dylan Hartley and Ireland’s fellow hooker Rory Best, Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones and Scotland’s scrumhalf Greig Laidlaw.

Yet Jones, whose England side suffered their first loss in his 18 matches in charge against Ireland on Saturday, said that such was the enormity of the 10-match tour, which features three Tests, that a new approach should be tried.

“I know what I would do. I would take the captains of the four nations, pool them together and make that the leadership group,” Australian Jones said at a team-building seminar at the Advertising Week Europe event in London on Tuesday.

“The Lions is such a prestigious tour.

“I would have those four guys lead the team and after the first five (warm-up) games I would pick the first Test and whoever was the leading player of those four I would make the captain for the first Test.”

The British and Irish Lions face a brutal schedule with matches against Super Rugby heavyweights the Blues, Crusaders and Highlanders. – Reuters