Gatland omits Edwards from Lions backroom team for trip to Australia

Warren Gatland will not bring his Wales coach Shaun Edwards on the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia next year.

The decision not to include him, despite the pair enjoying success at club and national level, is a huge surprise.

Gatland was given a free hand by the Lions committee to choose his coaches and looked to have settled on Edwards and the England duo Andy Farrell and Graham Rowntree as his back-up triumvirate. But Rob Howley will be going to Australia after a change of mind by Gatland, who will explain his reasons when he introduces his coaching team.

Meanwhile the prospect of Ronan O’Gara and Jonny Sexton both going on tour with the Lions strengthened after it emerged Wales fly-half Rhys Priestland will miss the Six Nations with a ruptured left Achilles tendon and could miss the tour.

However, with Ireland meeting Wales in the opening round of the Six Nations, the bad news is referee nemesis Romain Poite will officiate. Wayne Barnes will officiate Ireland’s games with Scotland and Italy. Australia’s Steve Walsh officiates the France game, while Jerome Garces does the England clash.

Interestingly former New Zealand Maori Glen Jackson will run the line for Scotland v Wales and Ireland v Italy. Jackson recently made his tier one international debut for England’s clash with Fiji less than two and a half years since wearing number 10 for Saracens in the Premiership.

“Almost everyone has said I’m bonkers,” he said. “Sometimes — actually most of the time — I do think: ‘What the hell am I doing?’”