Why Rory is Gatland’s Best option at hooker

NEED to know how the Lions mess with your head? On the morning of Warren Gatland’s tour squad announcement I was watching Sky Sports News thinking ‘my name could get called out here’.

That’s despite the fact that I knew every potential tourist had been notified of the possibility by letter beforehand. Call it Lions fever. At the beginning of this season, I was weighing up likely rivals for a squad place and reckoned the Irish situation may work out in my favour because they could, given my experience, bring two Irish tens on tour.

As things transpired, I didn’t get a chance to stake that claim because of omission from the Ireland squad, but I like the way Gatland and his selectors are thinking by backing Jonny Wilkinson for a role. They realise this series might come down to who has the balls to kick a winning penalty. That isn’t dissing Jonny Sexton or Owen Farrell — who will kick you eight out of ten pressure kicks. The difference with Wilkinson is he gives you 9.5 out of ten. He’s Mr Ronseal. He does what it says on the tin.