Lions seek to restructure future tours after row over late call-ups
The British and Irish Lions hope to avoid a repeat of the controversy that has erupted over the call-up of the ‘Geography Six’ as part of a number of radical proposals being considered to safeguard future tours, The Talk of Rugby can reveal.
Warren Gatland, the Lions head coach, said in the wake of the 31-31 draw with the Hurricanes on Tuesday that the furore over his decision to call in six extra players based solely on their proximity to New Zealand to protect his Test 23 had influenced his decision not to use his bench.
This column can report that the Lions are considering significant changes to the schedule, that they believe would give tours the best chance of being competitive – if they secure a minimum two-week preparation time from the clubs.
Among the alterations being considered is ending the concept of the entire squad travelling together to the host country the day after the domestic finals. Instead the players not involved in the Premiership or Pro12 finals could fly out a week early to acclimatise and recover from jet-lag. They would then be better prepared to play in the first game than they were against the Provincial Barbarians, when three of the team fell asleep on the sevenminute journey from hotel to stadium.
To allow that to happen the Lions are also considering bringing forward the date of their ‘farewell dinner’ from the eve of departure to coincide with the administrative day known as ‘Messy Monday’ – normally at the start of May – when players receive their kit.
While the agreement on the new global season from 2019 has earmarked a minimum of eight games for the Lions, John Feehan, Lions chief executive, believes that if the length of the tour was kept at the existing six weeks, it would allow for a smaller squad and end the need for late call-ups. “We would not need to bring in extra players if we did not play a game before the first Test,” Feehan told The Talk of Rugby. “It would also have given us a clear week to prepare for the first Test without any travelling or disruption.” Another change being considered is a new playerwelfare agreement to address any concerns from the clubs about how their players are managed during future tours.