The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
British and Irish Lions chief Warren Gatland, left, with coaching staff members, from left, Rob Howley, Andy Farrell and Steve Borthwick at Carlton House, Dublin, yesterday. The Lions are to tour New Zealand next summer.
Lions chief Gatland ‘massively encouraged’ by November Test performances
Warren Gatland says he would probably have a list of 15 to 20 players with “a good chance of going” were he to name his British and Irish Lions squad now for next summer’s New Zealand tour.
As had been widely expected, England forwards coach Steve Borthwick, Ireland defence specialist Andy Farrell and current Wales interim head coach Rob Howley will join Lions chief Gatland on the 10-match trip.
Confirmation of the trio came at a press conference in Dublin yesterday, with Farrell and Howley returning for another Lions expedition after working with New Zealander Gatland during the successful 2013 Australia tour.
And now that the front-line coaches are in place, speculation will intensify over the make-up of Gatland’s final squad, which will be announced on April 19 and comes after an autumn Tests schedule when England won all four of their games, Ireland beat New Zealand and Wales claimed their best series of November results since 2002.
“To name a squad now, I would probably get a list of 15-20 names with a good chance of going,” Gatland said.
“That (autumn internationals) was the best the northern hemisphere teams have done in a long time versus the southern hemisphere. It was massively encouraging.
“South Africa, Australia and New Zealand normally come up here and have pretty much unbeaten campaigns, and they go back spouting about how strong the southern hemisphere is.
“But South Africa are obviously going through turmoil at the moment, and Australia can be a bit hot and cold. I think we should take a lot of confidence from the performances of the northern hemisphere teams.”
Asked in Dublin about the Lions captaincy, Gatland added: “The process will be pick the squad first, then the captain. A lot of people talk about dual captains, I don’t think we will do that.
“Whoever we do select, firstly it will be a massive honour, but the second conversation is, ‘Just because you are captain, there is no guarantee you’ll be playing in all the Tests’.
“Probably it will be someone doing (a) captaincy role at the moment.”
Ex-England skipper and current Red Rose forwards coach Borthwick is a Lions newcomer, but he has made a considerable impression during England’s spectacular unbeaten revival under their Australian head coach Eddie Jones.
Former England assistant coach Farrell was appointed as Ireland defence coach earlier this year, and he helped oversee a first away victory over South Africa, followed by a stunning success against world champions New Zealand in Chicago before a memorable autumn campaign which concluded with a win over Australia.
Attack specialist Howley, who is currently Wales boss while Gatland concentrates on Lions business this season, makes his third successive Lions tour as a coach, while he also travelled as a player in 1997 and 2001.
Gatland has not ruled out making further coaching appointments– the likes of former England and Fiji sevens coach Ben Ryan and Saracens rugby director Mark McCall have both been linked with roles - but he describes the trio as his “core coaching team”.
To name a squad now, I would probably get a list of 15-20 names with a good chance of going. WARREN GATLAND