Sir Ian McGeechan has claimed his successor as British and Irish Lions coach, Warren Gatland, has been hamstrung by a “short-sighted and unfair” domestic schedule.

Joe Schmidt would be “flattered” if offered a coaching role for the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia but the Leinster chief doesn’t expect such a call from his Kiwi compatriot Warren Gatland.

DECLAN KIDNEY, Warren Gatland and Andy Robinson will all effectively be on trial during the forthcoming Six Nations to be head coach of the 2013 British and Irish Lions.

JOE SCHMIDT may have been frustrated by Leinster’s missed opportunities but at least he left Bath with a valuable Heineken Cup victory. His opposite number, Ian McGeechan, was equally vexed and had nothing but a losing bonus point to show for his developing side’s efforts on home soil.

LEINSTER head coach Joe Schmidt is demanding his players get the basics spot on Saturday at the Aviva Stadium if the Heineken Cup champions are to avoid “suffocating” themselves in their rematch with Bath.

Tour manager Andy Irvine believes British and Irish Lions coaching legend Sir Ian McGeechan is “an option” to take charge of the 2013 tour in Australia.

Stephen Donald is hooked on the Heineken Cup after just two appearances in European club rugby’s blue riband competition.

IAN McGeechan believes the English RFU should take its time in appointing Martin Johnson’s successor as England manager.

IAN McGEECHAN believes Leinster are the team to beat in this season’s Heineken Cup and says Jonny Sexton now has the ideal mix of talent and experience to take Europe by storm once again.

THE British and Irish Lions’ tour of Australia may be three years away, but a row is already breaking out about who will lead them down under.

IAN McGEECHAN has immediately targeted a return to Bath’s glory days after being appointed as the club’s new performance director.

Scottish rugby legend Ian McGeechan started the approach to the Six Nations by nominating Ireland as the likely winners of the tournament.

LUKE FITZGERALD is one of world rugby’s classiest players yet has not managed to hold down a place in his favourite position with either club or country.

Few understand what makes the British and Irish Lions tick more than Ian McGeechan. He told Charlie Mulqueen why chemistry and character must come before talent to help one of world sport’s greatest brands to continue to thrive.

THE youngest of the British and Irish Lions class of 2009 will be home in Limerick today – much richer for the experience of participating in the tour to South Africa.

THE dust has hardly settled on the 2009 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa, but already plans are being drawn up for Australia 2013.

SOUTH AFRICAN captain John Smit has backed Ian McGeechan’s assertion that the British and Irish Lions brand is the biggest in world rugby.

LIONS captain Paul O’Connell came in for high praise yesterday from coach Ian McGeechan and scrum half Mike Phillips for his leadership capabilities.

Ian McGeechan is confident he has established a coaching legacy that will carry the British and Irish Lions into a successful future.

Ian McGeechan has backed a much-changed British and Irish Lions team to produce another combative performance in tomorrow’s Test series finale against South Africa at Ellis Park.

SOUTH AFRICA forward Schalk Burger has reacted to his eight-week suspension byinsisting: “I am not a rugby thug.”

British and Irish Lions boss Ian McGeechan has made wholesale changes for Saturday's final Test against world champions South Africa.

ONE might have thought that facing down the hugely physical and intimidating Springboks was enough of a challenge for any British and Irish Lion, but, for a group of brave tourists, they dared getting up close and personal with their real-life brethren.

Ian McGeechan has called on the power-brokers of northern hemisphere rugby to throw their full support behind the British and Irish Lions.

South Africa flanker Schalk Burger has been suspended for eight weeks after being cited for gouging the eyes of British and Irish Lions wing Luke Fitzgerald.

SPRINGBOK coach Peter de Villiers is developing a reputation for putting his foot in it, and he did little to diminish that view by effectively condoning the eye gouging of Ireland’s Luke Fitzgerald by Springbok flanker Schalk Burger on Saturday.

DR James Robson yesterday described the second Test against South Africa as “brutal” after it left five of the British and Irish Lions in hospital.

AN emotional Ian McGeechan yesterday described Saturday’s second Test loss to South Africa as the lowest point of his long link with the brand, but defiantly predicted a victory in the third Test in Johannesburg.

Ian McGeechan has voiced his displeasure over alleged eye-gouging by South Africa flanker Schalk Burger on British and Irish Lions wing Luke Fitzgerald.

British and Irish Lions head coach Ian McGeechan admitted yesterday’s heartbreaking last-gasp defeat to South Africa was one of the biggest disappointments of his rugby career.

British and Irish Lions boss Ian McGeechan claimed his team “didn’t deserve” to be 2-0 down after world champions South Africa took Test series glory at Loftus Versfeld.

IAN McGEECHAN has turned to seven of Ireland’s Grand Slam heroes to rescue an ailing Lions Series, but Ollie Campbell believes there’s likely to be a backlash against the Irish contingent should the match go pear-shaped in Pretoria.

SIMON SHAW is ready for the launch of mission improbable tomorrow after completing a 12-year journey into the Lions Test team.

Luke Fitzgerald claims he is “pretty relaxed” about possible British and Irish Lions Test selection after putting himself in the frame for Pretoria.

LIONS coach Ian McGeechan is confident there will be no damage to morale after having victory snatched away in the dying seconds of last night’s confrontation with the Emerging Springboks.

Ronan O’Gara wants his team to “make a statement” when he captains the British and Irish Lions at Newlands tonight.

Ireland fly-half Ronan O’Gara will captain the British and Irish Lions in tomorrow night’s clash against the Emerging Springboks at Newlands.

BRITISH and Irish Lions forwards coach Graham Rowntree has admitted that the number of scrum penalties conceded in Saturday’s first Test with South Africa will force changes for the second Test.

Lions captain Paul O’Connell accused Bryce Lawrence of only refereeing one side after South Africa held off a late fightback to win the first Test 26-21 in Durban.

Captain Paul O’Connell admitted the penalties they conceded cost the British and Irish Lions dear in their opening Test defeat to South Africa.

GET SET for a rare treat in modern international rugby — a three-test series. The question on everyone’s lips, however, is how competitive will it be and for how long?

BRITISH and Irish Lions coach Ian McGeechan has rubbished the notion that he went for brawn over brain in plotting his strategy to lower the colours of world champions in the three-test series that kicks off here tomorrow.

Ian McGeechan admits the British and Irish Lions are about to enter “a different ball game” as they prepare for their Test series showdown with world champions South Africa.

Five Irish players, including captain Paul O'Connell, have been named by head coach Ian McGeechan on the British and Irish Lions team to face South Africa in the first Test match in Durban on Saturday.