GATLAND Is the leading Contender for Lions Coach.

Gats has been declared as the leading contender for the Lions head coach announces Lions chief executive John Feehan.
To be honest I can't see any other contenders, he was excellent in Oz as were the team especially in the final test with Gat's making some key selection changes and the players responding in style.

 

Being honest it is a 2 horse race regardless. Gats and his Welsh lads vs Schmidt who'll bring Cotter, Farrell and Feek

 

Eurgh, can't we just call the whole thing off?



If you want to beat NZ you need someone who has actually done that - in which case Lancaster is the only viable option.

 

WOOOHOOO! Leave Joe alone you irrelevant pricks!!!!

FWIW I think Gats will lead them to disaster, only won in Oz because they were ****e...

 

So it's a choice between a Kiwi, a Kiwi, a Kiwi or an Aussie.

Just flaming marvellous.

 

Do you need a Waaaaambulance there?

Not sold but not much challenge. We'll see.

 

Come on Peat, you're better than this!
You know I loves the Lions!

You can't deny that the prospect of Gatland or Farrell isn't that exciting.
But then who else is there?


I wouldn't be opposed to Gatland as long as he was only allowed Edwards from the Welsh staff.
I don't particularly rate Gatland THAT highly (good HC but overrated by many) - don't rate McBride or Howley at all, though.

 

I think Jones has ruled himself out.

 

Ha ha.

 

Whole things a hiding to nothing anyway. Gatland has even said the schedule is impossible. NZ trying to squeeze every penny out of the tour while ensuring they win the series as well just like the Boks did in 2009. Injury rate will be shocking and the following domestic season will be a shambles. Think this might be a tour too far for the lions. Whoever agreed to the schedule needs to be shot.

 

Agree with this 100%

 

What about Heyneke Meyer? He's available...

 

Doesnt matter who goes, disaster waiting to happen, really pity any coach that gets the job.

 

alot could change over the next year so the fact that he's supposedly the front runner now doesn't mean much

 

Well it does as the decision will be made after the 6 Nations this year. The head coach will know by time he goes on summer tour and effectively will announce it publicly after summer tours and take a year off from national job then.

 

I think its safe to say that Gats will be the Lions coach in 2017, this is based on the following -:

1. Experience as a Lions coach (Geech kept getting the nod and a large part in that was experience)
2. The Wales tour to NZ this summer will give a great insight as to what to expect in 2017 from a NZ playing perspective.
3. He is guaranteed 12 months off from the WRU as Wales coach.
4. Having coached in England domestically and Ireland and Wales Nationally he has a thorough understanding of what is needed.
5. According to insiders on the Oz Lions tour the squad were collectively united, something Gats achieved which had been missing for the previous couple of tours, effectively repairing the damage that Woodward had caused with the fractious nature of the 2005 NZ tour.

 

Sure there was another Lions tour between then....

 

The reality is a current national coach or recent national coach shouldn't be in charge of the Lions. It creates too much bias towards that country and can be detriment to whole tour as Woodward proved and I've never been convinced Gatland's Welsh bias actually improved the team and was just more of "got away with it".

On equal measure I wouldn't have a current national captain as captain unless he's a previous Lions captain. The Lions needs to have it's own identity as team not just be a team augmented in it's deubious positions.

Sadly there's lack of credible alternative's to Gatland...I wouldn't allow foreign coaches either but we haven't exactly been producing any recently with enoguh international experience.

 

Ironic considering the reports of bustups and fissures between the welsh lot and everyone else and also BOD-gate.

 

Schmidt would do it better, I'm convinced of that. I hope to **** they pick Gatland or anyone but Schmidt, otherwise we have Andy Farrell as head coach! (More likely to be Simon Easterby but imagine...)