Lions call for Wales coaches

British & Irish Lions tour manager Gerald Davies and head coach Ian McGeechan announced the coaching and key backroom staff for the 2009 tour to South Africa in Dublin today.

Wales’ Grand Slam coaching trio of Warren Gatland, Shaun Edwards and Rob Howley will be on Lions duty in South Africa next summer.

Gatland, who masterminded Wales’ RBS 6 Nations title triumph and tournament clean sweep last season, has landed the role of forwards coach.

He will work in a coaching team headed by Ian McGeechan, his successor as director of rugby with current Guinness Premiership champions Wasps.

McGeechan, whose Lions appointment was announced last month, will have also current Wasps coach Edwards and the club’s former star scrum-half Howley alongside him on the 10-match tour.

Edwards will look after the Lions’ defence, with Howley in charge of attack.

Further appointments to the management team announced in Dublin today were Wales’ Craig White, who will look after players’ physical conditioning, Scotland team doctor James Robson, performance analyst Rhys Long and media chief Greg Thomas.