‘SCOTS HURT BY LACK OF LIONS VOICE’

THE absence of a Tartan presence on the British and Irish Lions coaching team could have a negative impact on Scotland players on the tour to New Zealand, according to Andy Irvine. The legendary full-back believes the decision by Gregor Townsend and Jason O’Halloran to turn down approaches to join Warren Gatland’s staff may have a knock-on effect when it comes to selection, with no Scottish voice to speak up for the likes of Stuart Hogg (right) or Jonny Gray. ‘I think it probably would help (the Scots) if we had someone on the coaching staff,’ said Irvine, who is a Lions board member but will have no influence on Gatland’s squad selection. ‘Having said that, I would like to think that from a selection point of view, we’ll still have a reasonable hearing. But there’s no doubt that if you’re a formal selector on the coaching staff, it’s bound to have an impact.’ Glasgow Warriors head coach Townsend turned down an approach from Gatland after deciding it was more important to start his new job with Scotland on the tour of Australia and Fiji in the summer. O’Halloran, who is part of the current Scotland coaching set-up, also turned down an invitation as he wanted to focus on taking pre-season training at his new club Warriors. Irvine, who toured with the Lions in 1974, 1977 and 1980, believes Scotland have a number of contenders for selection in various positions. ‘We will have players going to face the All Blacks in New Zealand and if the team was picked tomorrow, Stuart Hogg wouldn’t only be in the squad, he would be in a Test position,’ said Irvine, who was the Lions team manager in their successful tour of Australia in the summer of 2013. ‘In fairness, he’s (Hogg) in a very competitive position, because Rob Kearney and Leigh Halfpenny are still playing and they were both quite well ahead of him on the last tour to Australia. ‘I personally believe he has leapfrogged them and, if he maintains his form for both Glasgow and Scotland, I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t make the Test side. ‘Elsewhere, Jonny Gray will be there or thereabouts in the second row, as will WP Nel at prop, John Hardie in the back row and maybe a centre like Alex Dunbar. Tommy Seymour is also a real class player, very under-rated. ‘As for Finn Russell, he is in the same position to Stuart Hogg in that the competition is fierce. Jonny Sexton is world-class, then there’s Dan Biggar and George Ford, although I think Owen Farrell has more chance of playing at stand-off. ‘Finn is a really class act in the way he goes about his business. He should have dropped his goal against Munster last Saturday — and I’m sure he knows that — but he will be there or thereabouts. A lot depends on how well Scotland do in the Six Nations.’