Coaching duo get backing of Lions legends

British & Irish Lions legend JJ Williams has come out in defence of Warren Gatland and Rob Howley in the wake of Sean O’Brien’s scathing attack of their coaching on the summer tour to New Zealand.

Williams knows all about what it takes to win a series with the Lions having been on the greatest tour of all to South Africa in 1974. He also went to New Zealand in 1977, when the Lions won one of the four Tests.

But he believes the Class of 2017 didn’t have the backline talent to match the All Blacks and feel they did much better than expected to draw the series against the double world champions.