Who are the options for possible British and Irish Lions Coaches for next year.

If the board are solely looking for a head coach from one of the home nations then this debate will be narrowed to only four guys of which one we are still waiting for an appointment and for him to show his abilities to do the job.

Though i have noticed a few posters on other threads starting to weigh the options of taking a top club coach and offering them the opportunity.

As we all know our last success over the All blacks was lead by a club coach in 1971, a great man who offered a different mentality to the task at hand. Maybe we should look at some of the best club coaches too?

Another option would be to look for a coach with adequate experience of top international rugby that is either semi retired or working below the top level of Rugby Union.

Other suggestions to add to the Poll are gratefully encouraged and if you would like to ask one of our kind moderators to add someone and they duly oblige to do so, I am sure we will be very grateful for their time and consideration of our enjoyment.



NOTE:- I would hope that conduct on this thread would continue in a gentlemanly fashion and that posters would first put forward their personal thoughts before dismantling other posters contributions. It seems un-rugbylike to mock others when you refuse to leave yourself open for similar attrition.

From the home Unions then I would say Gatland is clear favourite at the moment but my fear would be the fall out for Wales that may happen when you bear in mind the Graham Henry episode.

Didn't the management say they wanted the coach available for the whole season prior to the tour?

So would that mean Gatland has to sit out the 6 nations as well next year?

I voted Andy Robinson - just to get rid of him for a while if he is still around

Andy Robinson shouldn't be within 100 miles of the top job in Scotland let alone leading the Lions, by all means bring him as a coach but leave selection to someone else.

Gatland by a country mile for me.

Think Gatland is the clear leader, but not sure I want him to take the role if he has to take a "sabatical" from Wales during next years 6 Nations. Especially if, as I thnk we all know he would, take Shaun Edwards with him.

Therefore I'd vote anyone BAR Gatland.

I am encouraged by the wonderful way teams play rugby and see that evidence as a coaches ideology of the sport.

The most consistently brilliant team in European rugby over the last few years has been Leinster and I am encouraged to suggest that Joe Schmidt has probably been the best coach in the NH at all levels.

I am not overly worried about a lack of International experience, as we invariably see with all the best coaches in History, a great club coach, Graham Henry, Jack Rowell, Carwyn James or Rod Macqueen

This Lions series could be a great opportunity to see Joe Schmidt step up to the big table.

In support of MaestegMafia and the idea of Joe Schidmt. Remember Carwyn James never coached an international side but he did a pretty good job in '71

MajorRoadWorks wrote:Think Gatland is the clear leader, but not sure I want him to take the role if he has to take a "sabatical" from Wales during next years 6 Nations. Especially if, as I thnk we all know he would, take Shaun Edwards with him.

Therefore I'd vote anyone BAR Gatland.

I dont think that Gatland taking a sabbatical would be that detrimental to Wales future. We also need to find coaches who have the ability to not just take over from him one day when he leaves but also to improve on what he has done for Wales. It may create a great opportunity for a young coach to step up for a period and challenge themselves.

Schmidt could be excellent, but, I expect Gatland to get it - he has the pedigree

If Gatland took a sabbatical do people think Howley would automatically step up for the 6 Nations or would they bring someone in above him?

wales606 wrote:Schmidt could be excellent, but, I expect Gatland to get it - he has the pedigree

So did Sir Clive Woodward.

id say howley would step in, it would be the same game plan same style with howley just care taking

i wouldnt mind seeing someone else

tbh if lancaster didnt get the england job i wouldnt mind seeing him get it BECAUSE of the way he fostered a team spirit with that England team within a matter of weeks to finish 2nd in 6n and not far away from winning it outright

bedfordwelsh wrote:If Gatland took a sabbatical do people think Howley would automatically step up for the 6 Nations or would they bring someone in above him?

Think it is pretty much nailed on to be Howley - with Edwards staying as assistant

No other Welsh coaches have the experience of the set up.

606,

Question would be I guess is if Gatland wanted to take Howley and/or Edwards with him.

Would the WRU allow all to go?

bedfordwelsh wrote:606,

Question would be I guess is if Gatland wanted to take Howley and/or Edwards with him.

Would the WRU allow all to go?

The Welsh coaching team consists of quite a number these days. Gatland, Edwards and Howley are the senior men, but there is also Jenkins, McBride and Dan Baugh who have been with Wales throughout this current run of good form.

maes,

Yeah I know but if the 3 top men went I am not sure I would be happy with the other 3 in charge for the 6 Nations.

bedfordwelsh wrote:maes,

Yeah I know but if the 3 top men went I am not sure I would be happy with the other 3 in charge for the 6 Nations.

If I were on the coaching selection panel, my view would be that although Gatland is clearly the front runner and has proved a dependable coach with Wales, Ireland and Wasps, I would be very keen to interview other options, probably ones who wish to use the Lions to move up a step in their recognition rather than ones who wish to mark their legacy.

GavinDragon wrote:id say howley would step in, it would be the same game plan same style with howley just care taking

i wouldnt mind seeing someone else

tbh if lancaster didnt get the england job i wouldnt mind seeing him get it BECAUSE of the way he fostered a team spirit with that England team within a matter of weeks to finish 2nd in 6n and not far away from winning it outright

I thought about who I wanted for Lions coach the other day and decided that a team of;
Team Manager: Gatland (seems to have a set goal and is good with selection)
Head Coach: Lancaster (for reasons mentioned above about creating an actual team quickly)
Scrum/Fowards coach: Rowntree (self explanatory, also scope for Robinson to take Forwards coach, its how he started afterall)
Backs/attack coach: ? (this is where i fell down tbh, good be Howley but with Gats away that doesnt seem likely and none of the other home nations have great attacks, I'd look for someone out of the loop, like O'shea or some other who has been successful at club level)
Defence: Edwards/Gustard (we all know what edwards has done but same problems as with Howley, if not available the work Gustard has done at sarries is pretty incredible)

Having said all that, I think that O'Shea has done terrific work at Quins and the way they play is perfectly suited to the Lions. Also avoids some of the national bias that Gats might be subjected to (true or otherwise)

To be fair, Robinson would be a good forwards coach for the Lions.

Provided he was kept the length of a disinfected barge pole away from selecting the teams.

belovedfrosties wrote:

GavinDragon wrote:id say howley would step in, it would be the same game plan same style with howley just care taking

i wouldnt mind seeing someone else

tbh if lancaster didnt get the england job i wouldnt mind seeing him get it BECAUSE of the way he fostered a team spirit with that England team within a matter of weeks to finish 2nd in 6n and not far away from winning it outright

I thought about who I wanted for Lions coach the other day and decided that a team of;
Team Manager: Gatland (seems to have a set goal and is good with selection)
Head Coach: Lancaster (for reasons mentioned above about creating an actual team quickly)
Scrum/Fowards coach: Rowntree (self explanatory, also scope for Robinson to take Forwards coach, its how he started afterall)
Backs/attack coach: ? (this is where i fell down tbh, good be Howley but with Gats away that doesnt seem likely and none of the other home nations have great attacks, I'd look for someone out of the loop, like O'shea or some other who has been successful at club level)
Defence: Edwards/Gustard (we all know what edwards has done but same problems as with Howley, if not available the work Gustard has done at sarries is pretty incredible)

Having said all that, I think that O'Shea has done terrific work at Quins and the way they play is perfectly suited to the Lions. Also avoids some of the national bias that Gats might be subjected to (true or otherwise)

Andy Irvine is already appointed as Team Manager. I think he should persuade Geech to lead the tour again and take Gatland as top coach !

If they appointed Robinson how many Scotland players do you think hed pick?

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:If they appointed Robinson how many Scotland players do you think hed pick?

Given his current frustration, none?

(just kidding)

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:If they appointed Robinson how many Scotland players do you think hed pick?

On present form, he would pick Cusiter at second row, Lee Jones at tighthead and Gray at scrumhalf.

Dean Richards would be an interesting choice.

After the Clive Woodward fiasco in '05 as regards to player selection, I always think someone who isn't coaching a home nation side, but has had international experience as a coach, should be chosen as head coach. I think player bias would come into it too much. 50/50's for Gatland involving Welsh players would probably end in the Welsh player getting picked (Depending on form obviously). Couple of example would be Lydiate/Ferris at 6, 1/2p/Kearney at FB. One, you couldn't argue against the two Welsh boys getting picked ahead of the Irish boys, but then as a Welsh fan and then coach, you believe that your team has the superior players.

martyr_94 wrote:After the Clive Woodward fiasco in '05 as regards to player selection, I always think someone who isn't coaching a home nation side, but has had international experience as a coach, should be chosen as head coach. I think player bias would come into it too much. 50/50's for Gatland involving Welsh players would probably end in the Welsh player getting picked (Depending on form obviously). Couple of example would be Lydiate/Ferris at 6, 1/2p/Kearney at FB. One, you couldn't argue against the two Welsh boys getting picked ahead of the Irish boys, but then as a Welsh fan and then coach, you believe that your team has the superior players.

I think the 05 debacle was more attributed to SCW just not being that good a coach. He did little if any coaching himself, even his England successes were more attributed to the players than the coaches. 05 verified that.

bedfordwelsh wrote:606,

Question would be I guess is if Gatland wanted to take Howley and/or Edwards with him.

Would the WRU allow all to go?

Only the head coach has to be available for the whole year.

maestegmafia wrote:
I am not overly worried about a lack of International experience, as we invariably see with all the best coaches in History, a great club coach, Graham Henry, Jack Rowell, Carwyn James or Rod Macqueen

Just think Maesteg, in a few years you'll be able to add Hansen to that list...

Taylorman wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:
I am not overly worried about a lack of International experience, as we invariably see with all the best coaches in History, a great club coach, Graham Henry, Jack Rowell, Carwyn James or Rod Macqueen

Just think Maesteg, in a few years you'll be able to add Hansen to that list...

I look forward to that day very much. I really like Hansen. I thought he did some great work in Wales, work that our players managed to dismantle effectively within a season or two, but he built a better edge into our players, he continued on from Henry remarkably well and I see him doing the very same for New Zealand in the near future.

Hansen lost twice as many(!) games as Wales coach than he won.

He managed us to 11 consecutive test defeats.

We lost every match of a 6N under his leadership.

And he dropped Dafydd James for driving 15 miles home during a 'closed' training camp to get some decent food.

The funniest thing was during RWC 2003 when the players abandoned his instruction and just slung the ball the width of the field at every opportunity - and played some decent stuff.

Worst coach we've ever had. Apart from John Lloyd.

Watch the All Blacks plummet down the rankings now...

Tony McGahan isn't an option as he is on his way back to Australia to be the Wallabies new defense coach.

Good move by the Wallabies bringing him into their coaching staff. He will be well up to speed on all the Welsh & Irish players

Robinson -to get rid of the useless tw*t

Gatland - Head Coach

Asst Coaches
Kidney
Edwards
Rowntree
Wilkinson/Welsh wotsiface