Coach must trust every player – Sinckler may have lost that in 2017

Hengland tighthead and Marler are top performers, but could have paid for what happened four years ago

Iknow from experience that when it comes to picking a Lions squad you cannot please everyone. There are always deserving players you cannot fit in. It is always agonising. The fact Warren Gatland let us know he and his fellow coaches agonised for more than four hours on Wednesday, with Gats describing the final selection as the “most challenging” of his career, was clearly intended to show they did not take any decision lightly. Looking at the squad, I do not think you can argue with any of it.

Yes, there are some surprising calls. But ultimately Gats and his coaches have to be singing from the same hymn sheet. This is their squad, their reputations on the line. They cannot be swayed by outside influences or public opinion.

This is where character – even more than form – plays a part. When you are sweating over those marginal calls, character is what you look for.

Character and temperament. You only get one shot at this every four years. The coaches have to be able to trust every player they take implicitly.

I wonder whether this was behind the omission of Kyle Sinckler, which was to my mind the most surprising of all (James Ryan was the only other call that no one saw coming). Sinckler has attributes that no other tighthead has, but maybe he lost an element of trust with Gatland four years ago.

Sinckler’s final contribution on that tour was to be arrested following a night out after the third Test, although he was released without charge. Sinckler has grown as a player and a man and it would be unfair to hold that against him indefinitely. But he still has a slightly short fuse. With Tadhg Furlong back to his best, Zander Fagerson impressing in the Six Nations, Andrew Porter able to play both sides, and no English coaches to advocate for him, perhaps Sinckler just did not have the faith of the entire selection panel.

Similarly Ellis Genge, who some had tipped to be a bolter. Genge can be a devastating presence on the field. But if any of the coaches felt that his tendency to allow the red mist to descend on occasion might outweigh his usefulness, it would certainly have counted against him.

Joe Marler is one of the best looseheads out there, but as he himself admitted this week, if he was a selector, would he have gambled on a player who “has form of struggling mentally and away from home?” Marler made another admission, conceding he did not react brilliantly to playing in the midweek games rather than the Tests in New Zealand four years ago. I spoke about this aspect of touring in my column at the weekend. You absolutely cannot have that attitude, it can jeopardise team spirit.

Only 23 can make the match-day squad. The players who miss out simply have to support them. I always cite Jason Leonard in 1997, putting his disappointment aside to help prepare Paul Wallace and Tom Smith. That’s the attitude you want.

This squad has a solid feel to it, temperamentally and physically.

Genge’s tendency to allow the red mist to descend may have counted against him

They have clearly resisted the urge to gamble on players such as Manu Tuilagi or Johnny Sexton, whose “durability” Gats openly questioned yesterday. Instead they have opted for players such as Bundee Aki and Chris Harris. Solid, dependable types who were also on form in the Six Nations.

The selection offers an insight into the way they want the Lions to play. They appear to have leant towards footballers who can offer physicality as well. Take Courtney Lawes. He will have to prove his fitness, but he fits the mould of what the selectors are looking for. Gats sees Lawes as a role model for the younger players with his professional attitude.

Ultimately that is what you are after from a Lion; strength of character, dependability, reliability, positivity. For nine weeks they are a band of brothers and will need to be there for each other. There will be 18 first-time tourists this summer. South Africa is one of the hardest places to play rugby; an experience like no other. I wish them every success.