Davies ready to defend Lions’ pride

Charlie Mulqueen talks to rugby legend Gerald Davies about the principles of rugby, touring and being next year’s Lions manager.

THE countdown to next year’s British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa begins in earnest later this month with the appointment of the head coach, and those with the biggest say in that appointment are Gerald Davies of Wales and Andy Irvine of Scotland, tour manager and Lions chairman respectively.

They’ve insisted they wouldn’t make up their mind until the current Six Nations ends, but England’s Brian Ashton has ruled himself out and Scotland’s Frank Hadden is seen as a rank outsider. Of the four current national coaches, that leaves Ireland Eddie O’Sullivan, a man already in grave danger of losing his day job, and Warren Gatland of Wales, who happens to be a New Zealander.