Howley stunned by rapid progress

Rob Howley’s coaching career will continue to flourish with the Lions next year, and the former scrum-half admits he is still pinching himself at his rapid rise.

Howley only joined Warren Gatland’s Wales staff from Cardiff Blues last January but, in his role as backs coach, helped his country to the RBS 6 Nations title and Grand Slam glory, and has now landed a role on the 2009 Lions tour.

And he will return to South Africa 12 years after injury cruelly ended his hopes of playing in a Test series the Lions eventually won with memorable triumphs in Cape Town and Durban.

“The 1997 and 2001 Lions tours were the pinnacle of my playing career, but this is the next chapter for me,” Howley said.

“The 1997 tour was probably the best (Lions) tour yet, but with the worst ending, from my point of view.

“For me, it is another opportunity. You have to be in the right place at the right time as a coach and I’ve been very fortunate.

“The legacy of the Lions is important and it is great to be part of a really professional coaching team.

“The last 12 months, I’ve had to pinch myself. I’ve worked with Warren and Shaun (Edwards) with Wales, and I am now going to work with probably the best Lions coach (Ian McGeechan) there has been.

“The tour starts now. The preparation starts now and it is important on a Lions tour that players are given the maximum opportunity to compete for that Test jersey.

“We challenge each other as coaches, and when we do, the players will be challenged. That’s a crucial environment for any Lions tour.”

Howley, Gatland and Edwards will fill the respective roles of attack, forwards and defence coaches.

Tour manager Gerald Davies has also confirmed Scotland team doctor James Robson, Wales conditioning coach Craig White and Wales video analyst Rhys Long as key management team appointments.

Davies is determined to put everything possible in place to make it a memorable experience for the players, coaches and support staff who travel to South Africa on May 24.

Davies has revealed the Lions will also take England’s regular travelling counsel Richard Smith with them, in addition to security personnel.

But he is also determined to see the Lions make the most of what both he and head coach McGeechan believe is a seven-week “phenomenon”.

Davies said: “I want the team to be winners, but you don’t have to be solemn, miserable and sullen to be a winner.

“I would like to create an atmosphere where they are happy, contented and like what they are doing. It is about being a contented tourist.

“There will be moments of crisis on the tour, there will be moments of tension, and there will be moments when players will be unhappy. One of those moments will be when a decision is made to select the Test-match 22.

“There will be other moments, too, when we can be as happy as Larry, but we know around that corner the big truck will come and hit us when we least expect it.”