McGahan sees future Lions in young Reds

Former Munster head coach Tony McGahan has backed Simon Zebo, Peter O’Mahony and the province’s other young guns he helped to develop to follow Conor Murray as British & Irish Lions of the future.

McGahan left Munster at the end of last season to return home to Australia and take up a role with the ARU as coaching co-ordinator and serve on Robbie Deans’ Wallabies coaching staff. His time at Munster saw him begin the transition in player personnel from the double Heineken Cup winners to the next generation and he handed Murray, Zebo and O’Mahony, amongst others, their first competitive caps with the province.

As well as speaking with pride about Murray’s elevation to Warren Gatland’s Lions squad this summer alongside his former captain Paul O’Connell, McGahan told the Irish Examiner he felt Zebo, O’Mahony and Donnacha Ryan could count themselves unfortunate not to be joining their team-mates on the plane heading Down Under.