Donal Lenihan: A Lions tour is a complex beast at the best of times. Then, along came a global pandemic...

Donal Lenihan identifies the four key elements on Warren Gatland’s to do list over the last year with the announcement of his 35-man Lions squad only eight days away

Wasps’ Joe Launchbury feels the pain as he receives attention to an injured left knee, which forced his replacement during the Gallagher Premiership rugby match against Bath at Ricoh Arena on Sunday. Launchbury is out of contention for the British and Irish Lions’ South Africa tour after suffering the serious knee injury. Picture: David Rogers/Getty Images

I paid another visit to the attic recently, one of many during this prolonged lockdown period and it didn’t take too long to find the box labelled British and Irish Lions.

I was quite surprised at the sheer volume of files and paperwork, the vast majority relating to the work undertaken as manager of the 2001 tour to Australia with a portion also dedicated to the 1997 tour of South Africa for which I was a selector.