Who should coach the 2013 Lions?

John Feehan of the B & I Lions said that they will be appointing the coach for the Australian tour in April. The number of candidates is short - likely to be one of three Six Nations coaches - Kidney, Gatland or Robinson, with McGeechan as a possibility if they, or other candidates, don't come up to scratch. Whoever they pick, they have decreed cannot be involved in 6N 2013 - and the unions are backing this stance apparently. The England coach - Lancaster - is not in the running.

Gatland has the most experience - and that will count in their decision-making - and has publicly stated he wants to go.
Robinson also has some previous experience on his CV.
Kidney has none.

Opine.

Who should coach the 2013 Lions?
The answer is blyddy well obvious.
Me.

doctor_grey wrote:Who should coach the 2013 Lions?
The answer is blyddy well obvious.
Me.

What a great idea. In this economic climate it would make sense to make you Lions Head Coach & team Doctor. Win win

Gatts wants it but he woudl have to skip the 2013 6 Nations and i don't think the WRU will wear it unless we do excpetionally well this year; difficult to balance personal ambition v the interests of the Welsh side. In his absence I would say not Geech - whilst i like him i don't think he shoudl do it again. Not Kidney at any cost and AR does not have any credentials for the job....therefore I would think it will be a bolter...perhaps Sir Graham?

I dont think Warren Gatland should be any where near the Lions coaching set up. After all he and most of the Welsh coaching staff was in charge last time and look what happend then, they picked alot of player/s(mainly welsh players) who was out of form and should never have been picked in the first place.

No, who ever takes charge should be completely unbiased, only players that are on form should be chosen, no player/s should be picked on reputation (no matter who that person is.)

I voted for A. N, OTHER. some one who has no connection to any of the players but wants the Lions to win.

majesticimperialman wrote:I dont think Warren Gatland should be any where near the Lions coaching set up. After all he and most of the Welsh coaching staff was in charge last time and look what happend then, they picked alot of player/s(mainly welsh players) who was out of form and should never have been picked in the first place.

No, who ever takes charge should be completely unbiased, only players that are on form should be chosen, no player/s should be picked on reputation (no matter who that person is.)

I voted for A. N, OTHER. some one who has no connection to any of the players but wants the Lions to win.

Funniest thing i have read since the EPS was selected. You clearly are not qualified to WUM

I was there pal, for every game, if it wasn't for the Welsh boys it would have been 3-0. Need i remind you Roberts was player of the tournament.

You want to blame players start with Vickery and ROG. Blaming players though is hardly the point of a lions tour. If you had ever been on one you would know that.

And A N Other....that shows some really insightful analysis...how exactly can an unbiased be selected? please enlighten us oh wise one, who do you have in mind? someone who has no connection to any of the players but wants the Lions to win...brilliant...i agree a pre requisite for lions coach should be that he wants them to win well done.

OH THAT'S GOOD!!

Gatts wrote:

You want to blame players start with Vickery and ROG. Blaming players though is hardly the point of a lions tour. If you had ever been on one you would know that.

Why oh why did you have to mention that Irish Fools name !!! id just managed to clear my memory of that act of stupidity in the 2nd test

I Hope Sir Geech doesn't get it , i felt as if he did a good job with the 2009 tour and i recon they should let him end of a relative high.

I am fairly nationalistic (regionalistic? Home Nations-istic?) when it comes to the Lions. The players are Blue, Green, Red, and White and so should be the management team and coaches, We know that will always invite questions about favouritism. But that simply comes with the territory. So I would eliminate Graham Henry, Nick Mallet, and so on, although they are undoubtedly very good coaches. I like Sir Ian being involved simply because he brings credibility, professionalism, passion and competance to the process.

Well straight away, I know who should absolutely NOT be given the role.

Ian McGeechan!

It's become more The British and Irish McGeechans with all the publicity that man gets any time the Lions are mentioned.
"One more time, never again"
"Well, maybe I would do it again, if asked"
"Never again, it's over"
"Did I say 'Over'? I meant it's over to the powers that be to decide whether they want me again or not"
"Look, it really is time for new faces in the coaching roles"
"I wouldn't be against going along though and adding my overview"

No Ian! - You've been great and all but NO. Time for change.

Lievremont...he's free, isn't he?

Obviously Graham Henry and Nick Mallett are missing.

Some fairly left field selections -

Dean Richards

Brendan Venter

Michael Cheika

Josef Schmidt

Mark Mccall

Stuart Lancaster

I think should be considered. As none of these are on the list I'll vote A.N Other.

Jeebus thats a poor list of candidates. I don't rate any of the home nations coaches right now apart from maybe Andy Robinson.

Gatland would have to be the front runner. Kidney might actually be ok at that sort of thing as he's good at all that team building and moral lark but not so adept at the tactics.

I'd go for Eddie O'Sullivan or Martin Johnson!

McGeechan didn't do a very good job last time. Some poor selections and he didn't react quickly to things going wrong on the field.

Dean Richards would actually be a good option, having served the blood-gate sentence, he did a great job with Quins and he's a good coach. He hopefully has learnt from his mistake, or have someone more competent fake an injury next time and not make an obvious gesture of shoving his hand down his sock and winking walking off the pitch!

NeilyBroon wrote:Dean Richards would actually be a good option, having served the blood-gate sentence, he did a great job with Quins and he's a good coach. He hopefully has learnt from his mistake, or have someone more competent fake an injury next time and not make an obvious gesture of shoving his hand down his sock and winking walking off the pitch!

It's funny because it's true. Couldn't believe how obvious it was. There was far to much blood and it didn't look quite the right shade of red. The wink was just the icing on the cake.

Wouldn't mind seeing Connor O'whatever at quinns...

Could well come down to who does best in the 6N's

flankertye wrote:Wouldn't mind seeing Connor O'whatever at quinns...

Conor O'Shea is in his [second?] season with an English club. He's had a reasonably successful run but it's a little early to be looking to him as the 'chosen one'...given the other contenders in the pack

So........all you guys think it is OK for a British & Irish Lions coach to not be from Britain & Ireland?

Why do we need to troll the world for our most prestigious coaching position?

Lawrence Dallagio, he would pick the entire English team, and anyone else who plays for Wasps.

That would leave all the Wales players free for the important Japan tour!

Sean Holley

or

Frank Hadden

doctor_grey wrote:So........all you guys think it is OK for a British & Irish Lions coach to not be from Britain & Ireland?

Why do we need to troll the world for our most prestigious coaching position?

That's why I voted Sir Ian. I actually worry it could be a tour too many for him but he's the best 'local' candidate available at the moment.

Why not Jim Mallinder?

NeilyBroon wrote:Why not Jim Mallinder?

Does this need to be answered?

B91212 wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:So........all you guys think it is OK for a British & Irish Lions coach to not be from Britain & Ireland?
Why do we need to troll the world for our most prestigious coaching position?

That's why I voted Sir Ian. I actually worry it could be a tour too many for him but he's the best 'local' candidate available at the moment.

I agree about Sir Ian on all counts, hoping it is not a bridge too far. So I voted for him, too. Maybe he could function in a role of Coach/Manager and then bring in some top notch club coaches or position assistant coaches. There is a lot of excellent B & I coaching talent at the clubs/regions/franchises. I see no reason to use each or any nation's head coach unless he is a specialist in an area and brings something unique to the table. Might be best to stay away from the national teams staffs altogether.

Can't we just retire the outdated Lions concept (and the Baa Baa's while we're at it) and concentrate on some proper rugby?

outdated?

by whose standards?

have you ever been on a Lions tour?

Just my opinion Gatts me old chum. I think it's antiquated nonsense and well past its sell-by-date. Baa Baa's is even worse. The players certainly seem to agree too after the last debacle.

Nah, not been on a tour. No desire to either.

Different strokes for different folks

SafeAsMilk wrote:Can't we just retire the outdated Lions concept (and the Baa Baa's while we're at it) and concentrate on some proper rugby?

No.
The Lions and Barbarians are absolutely old fashioned, out dated, antiquated nonsense. And I love every old fashioned, out dated, antiquated facet of both concepts. To me the rest of Rugby has to adapt to The Lions and Barbarians, not the reverse.

They should live forever (or until the Mayans destroy the world, which ever comes last).

doctor_grey wrote:I agree about Sir Ian on all counts, hoping it is not a bridge too far. So I voted for him, too. Maybe he could function in a role of Coach/Manager and then bring in some top notch club coaches or position assistant coaches. There is a lot of excellent B & I coaching talent at the clubs/regions/franchises. I see no reason to use each or any nation's head coach unless he is a specialist in an area and brings something unique to the table. Might be best to stay away from the national teams staffs altogether.

I know the Lions want the Head Coach for a full year again like last time, and with the way things have gone at Bath that could be a possibility for Sir Ian but how long are the other coaches requred? I agree with your idea of specialist coaches but clubs are not going to want to loose their top guy's for too long. I know it worked last time with Wales in particular but i would be unhappy if my national coach missed another tour because of commitments to the Lions.

Maybe he could take a staff of Smith, Ford & Wells - Other than Ford (which is only to the end of this season unless I'm mistaken) then they must have some spare time on their hands

doctor_grey wrote:No.The Lions and Barbarians are absolutely old fashioned, out dated, antiquated nonsense. And I love every old fashioned, out dated, antiquated facet of both concepts. To me the rest of Rugby has to adapt to The Lions and Barbarians, not the reverse.

They should live forever (or until the Mayans destroy the world, which ever comes last).

I agree, especially with regards to the Lions. The tradition involved is monumental and they would be an immeasurable loss to the game of rugby were it ever to come to that. Not such a massive fan of the Barbarians although agree with the concept and hope that space and time are continued to be made available for them.

Knowsit17 wrote:Sean Holley

or

Frank Hadden

Jeremy Guscott?

I dont want Gatland going on sabbatical for a year. I have no issues with him going in a secondary role as he did last time but not as head coach. His primary job is with the WRU and swanning off for a year is not really on imo.

TycroesOsprey wrote:I dont want Gatland going on sabbatical for a year. I have no issues with him going in a secondary role as he did last time but not as head coach. His primary job is with the WRU and swanning off for a year is not really on imo.

Gatland wont be going on the Lions tour as head coach, but he wont be going to Japan either, he has holiday time booked off.

Dean Richards is an astonishingly good coach and motivator, and I have no problem with him coming back into the game when he's done his time. I wouldn't want him to be given a Lions role until it was clear he still had it coaching wise though. Three years is a long time to be out of the game for.

Out of interest, when are the assistant coaches going to be chosen? And will they be required to take the year off as well? Presumably whoever is head coach gets a big say in choosing them. Rowntree and Farrell could put themselves in the shop window in that sense with a good showing for England in the Six Nations (although I'd be pretty surprised if Rowntree doesn't go as scrum coach anyway).

Knowsit17 wrote:Sean Holley

or

Frank Hadden

That actually made me wee myself a little bit.

Lions is a dead concept nowadays.

Give the job to Holley - just for the Dave Brent comedy moments.

Joe Schmidt is definitely my choice.

Casartelli wrote:Lions is a dead concept nowadays.

I don't quite understand this. It seems to be getting bigger and bigger and bigger. It means a lot to the players, the TV companies love it, thousands of fans travel to the other side of the world to watch it.

Your not the first person to say it, but aside from a very badly run 2005 campaign, the Lions has generally been well received in modern times. 1997, 2001 and 2009 were all very popular tours for the TV, the fans, the players involved and the countries who hosted it.

I fail to see how it is a dead concept. It has gained a new lease of life.

certainly not literally a dead concept, it is very much an alive and healthy concept. The Lions definitely has more support than derision.

Maybe they mean that there's barely any room for it in the modern pro rugby calender and is detrimental to the welfare of the players who take part. The European season is packed already.

The tour is shorter than the old amateur days, but that makes it even harder for them to gel as a side and be successful. They've lost 7 out 9 tests in the last 3 tours. And one of those victories was in a dead rubber, with the series already decided in South Africa's favour. It just sticks out like a sore thumb in an already packed season. Players can only take so much punishment. I'd rather watch Ireland go on tour.

But you're right, it's not gonna end any time soon. To much money involved, and it is popular with most rugby fans. And France will win the 6 Nations the year after the tour, like they always do.

Feckless Rogue wrote:I'd rather watch Ireland go on tour.

I suspect you are in the minority Feckless. I work for a rugby tour operator and I can tell you that there will be more Irish fans booking to go to the Lions than to the RWC and Irelands tour to New Zealand this year combined.

Our season in the NH is a disaster and something that needs desperate addressing, though I don't see it happening and it is a debate for another thread.

red_stag wrote:

Feckless Rogue wrote:I'd rather watch Ireland go on tour.

I suspect you are in the minority Feckless. I work for a rugby tour operator and I can tell you that there will be more Irish fans booking to go to the Lions than to the RWC and Irelands tour to New Zealand this year combined.

I know I'm in a minority for sure. Just giving my opinion on why some people don't like it.

Oh yea no bother Feckless pal. Wish that there were a few more like you (be good for business . . .feel free to PM me for Ireland tour details)

(cheeky grin)

I somewhat judge the Lions from a different perspective to you guys,as a member of a hosting country,the supporters in my experience have always been brilliant and it always impresses me how worldy in terms of rugby the Lions supporeters are.
One big positive is that these tours are not overdone,this makes them very marketable to the host country.one tour to NZ evry 7 or 8 years is excellant and it doesnt create a burden for the host country's players and already busy playing schedules.
Its also interesting seeing the different chemistry between some of the UK journos.

You won't be getting a penny off me stag. I just watch rugby on TV. I've never been one of those real supporters who travels around watching games live.

Feckless Rogue wrote:You won't be getting a penny off me stag. I just watch rugby on TV. I've never been one of those real supporters who travels around watching games live.

"Real" supporters is a loose term. There are lads I know who go to 10 rugby matches a year - 2 or 3 Six Nations, 6 or 7 Heineken Cup games - but have never played rugby and would never watch a game on TV.

You spend all that time posting on this site - your real enough Up until the last year or so I used never travel to a lot of games..

Just a couple of snippets:

aucklandlaurie wrote:.........as a member of a hosting country,the supporters in my experience have always been brilliant and it always impresses me how worldy in terms of rugby the Lions supporeters are.
One big positive is that these tours are not overdone,this makes them very marketable to the host country..........

red_stag wrote:

Casartelli wrote:Lions is a dead concept nowadays.

I don't quite understand this. It seems to be getting bigger and bigger and bigger. It means a lot to the players, the TV companies love it, thousands of fans travel to the other side of the world to watch it.

The Lions are one of the great institutions in Rugby. The Lions concept really was dying for a while as the sport struggled with the change to the professional era. I seriously thought for a short time they really might go away. But the trend was reversed by shrewd management, intelligent marketing, securing buy-in and committments from from the Home Nations Rugby Unions, the English clubs (the Regions and Franchises already covered by their National Unions), the three SH National Unions and the television networks. Interestingly, there was never a need to obtain agreement from the players who always embraced it.

For me, the Lions remain one of the great romantic concepts in all of sport. Rugby need the Lions. They show Rugby at its absolute International best. And therefore is invaluable showing Rugby as a positive, inclusive sport and is probably the best marketing tool we have around the world outside of the RWC. I look forwards to Lions tours each time out. I have gone on Lions tours, and regardless of host country, the experience is off the charts. To make theings even better, many people from non-Home Nations or South Hemisphere countries go on Lions tours.

I see nothing but great things in the Lions future.

it'll be either Gatland or Kidney (both will be involved either way), it depends on who does better in this years 6N both in terms of table standings and coaching performance which is to say selection & tactics and this is a big one - politics.

DK is what we would term a "cute whoer" and imo ahead of WG in the diplomacy dept.

I think Kidney has run his road with Ireland (unless we win the thing) and we should look for a change whilst WRU and fans seem content with Gatland at the minute, I don't think a poor showing in the 6N will be the end for him.............

Can't see AR coming in to the frame even in a backup role to either coach.

when is the decision being made?

PS - one stupid tackle from O'Gara (who was missing half his head) DID NOT cost us the last series neither did the breakdown of players/nations, the Springboks were very very good that year, they cruised through the tri nations - think they white washed NZ as well.

Lets not go down that road

Kidney?!!!!!!

Its the Lions not the Leprechauns