Gatland: English get unwanted attention

Lions coach Warren Gatland believes the 2011 World Cup has demonstrated that selecting a large number of England players for this summer’s tour to Australia will result in unwanted media attention.

England’s position at the top of the RBS 6 Nations table – they are the only team still capable of winning a Grand Slam – indicates they will be well represented Down Under.

And while Gatland stresses “the best players will be selected”, he fears that the English come with their own baggage.

“At the moment England are playing well,” Gatland said last night.

“They did well in the autumn, particularly the outstanding victory against the All Blacks and, if they do well in the Six Nations, there will be a reasonable contingent of English players.

“But that brings a certain element of – how do I say it – other pressures that come with selecting a lot of English players.

“It becomes a much greater media focus from the English papers and potentially a negative focus from the Australian papers. And English players are targeted by other countries.

“They are not always the most popular with other countries because of the history. People like having a pop at them.

“It’s just being aware of potential issues that may arise. We all know what happened with England at the World Cup and the circus that was created.

“I’ve just got to be aware of the possibilities that, if there are a number of English players on the tour, the same sort of things could be instigated, through stings, through the media or set-ups trying to create controversy.”

In the 2001 to Australia, Austin Healey was fined for calling Australian forward Justin Harrison a “plod” and a “plank” in a newspaper column.