Leonard will give Lions added bite

ANYONE who cherishes the Lions concept, which is about 99 per cent of the rugby establishment and public, should take heart from signs of a belated and vital modernising process.

Not before time, it appears that a relic of the old amateur era is becoming professional. In the quest to avoid extinction, this was an essential development.

Some things needed to change and some can stay exactly the same. So, days after the Lions revealed that Jason Leonard is taking over as chairman, to bring a fresher, sharper edge to that role and break up the old boys’ network, it has been reported that Warren Gatland will lead the best of British and Irish talent to South Africa in 2021, for his third consecutive tour as head coach.

Late last year, Ben Calveley was appointed as the Lions’ first managing director, in recognition of the need to drag the organisation away from cosy nostalgia and into the 21st century. The difficulty is the delicate balancing act between retaining a certain amateur touring ethos while moving with the times, which is where Leonard (below) comes in.

Here is a man whose decorated playing career spanned the sport’s shift to professionalism. He was a Lion on three tours, he won a World Cup with England, he thrived when the game started making scientific strides, but he still made sure he bought opponents a post-match pint.

Leonard will take charge of negotiations with Gatland and they should not prove too taxing. The Kiwi mastermind of another Welsh Grand Slam wants to take charge again and after a series win over Australia and that dramatic three-Test tie with the All Blacks, there is no more suitable candidate. The RFU may complicate matters by approaching Gatland to succeed Eddie Jones as England head coach after the World Cup but, if Jones stays on to the end of his contract in 2021, Gatland could do the Lions job and then take up office at Twickenham with two years to prepare for the 2023 World Cup. That all seems quite neat — too neat to be realistic, perhaps. Put aside the England equation and the Lions could have a renowned coach, familiar with the landscape, with a year to focus on preparing for the South African crusade. They must avoid burdening him with endless commercial engagements this time — let Leonard be the face of those. Then they just have to convince Martin Johnson to serve as tour manager and the Springboks will know that there is serious trouble coming.