Gatland rescued Lions brand, now to protect it

It was a bit like the Steve Redgrave moment at the 1996 Olympics Games. Just after the great British oarsman had bagged his fourth gold medal in Athens he told the world they had his permission to “shoot him” if he ever went near a boat again.

Fast forward 21 years and Warren Gatland uttered the same sort of sentiment after guiding the British & Irish Lions to a drawn series against the world champion All Blacks. “Never again,” he said, but four years on he will be back at the helm in South Africa.