British and Irish Lions: Wounded Lions turn to McGeechan to restore pride against Springboks

SCOTLAND has struggled for representation on recent British and Irish Lions tours, but the appointment of Ian McGeechan as coach for the 2009 tour to South Africa has made the former Scotland player and coach the foremost figure in Lions history.

He overtakes the record of six tours set by Willie John McBride, the former Ireland captain and coach, in leading the Lions back to South Africa and the site of their last triumph, masterminded by McGeechan and his Scottish friend and mentor, Jim Telfer.

And yet, yesterday's announcement in a London hotel was not so much the worst-kept secret in rugby as the only possible declaration. The only national coach in the British Isles who has achieved recent success is Warren Gatland, who only took over with Wales this year and duly helped inspire them to a Grand Slam.

But he was a New Zealander. Many, notably players, believe this to be no impediment, that it is crucial the Lions have the best-available coach to cope with the unique challenge of creating a world-class team inside four weeks and then winning a Test series. However, the 'best coach' in 2001 was Graham Henry, the current All Blacks coach, and although the Test series was a narrow 2-1 loss, the tour crumbled off the field amid claims he wrecked the Lions spirit and ethos.

The return to a homegrown coach in 2005, in Sir Clive Woodward, was fraught with different problems – a hyperbolic, overblown approach also at odds with the Lions ethos – and the combination of both drew a black cloud over the Lions concept and some questioned its future.

As soon as great past Lions Andy Irvine and Gerald Davies were appointed chairman and manager respectively for this tour, there was no doubt that strenuous efforts would be made to restore the lustre and roots of the British Isles touring team. They, therefore, needed a coach on the same wavelength.

Had McGeechan walked away from the game after quitting as the SRU's director of rugby in 2005, following a difficult final period as Scotland coach, it would have been tough for the Lions committee to return to him this time.

Crucially, he not only returned to hands-on coaching, but was successful with Wasps – steering them to a Powergen Cup, Heineken Cup and successive Guinness Premiership play-offs – producing the evidence and earning the respect necessary for this position.

He played on the 1974 and 1977 tours, winning the former in South Africa; coached a winning team to Australia in 1989, a narrow loss in New Zealand in 1993 and winners against the Springboks in 1997; was pulled back in three years ago by Woodward to guide the midweek side on the New Zealand tour.

McGeechan's unbeaten 'dirt-trackers' were the sole success in 2005, but, feeling the head coach role was now in his past, his enthusiasm for future tours dimmed. However, Irvine and Davies re-stoked it with the offer of the top job for 2009. An immensely proud Lions fan, McGeechan yesterday was genuinely blown away at the honour.

"Yes, I am excited," he admitted. "Just seeing the badge again on the wall here has raised the hairs on the back of my neck.. It will be a massive challenge. South Africa are in better shape now than they were in 1997; we're effectively playing three World Cup finals in their country."

The Lions committee wanted to involve McGeechan fully in appointing the backroom team, so only now will speak to other coaches in their sights. Gatland and Shaun Edwards, the former Great Britain rugby league player and defence coach with McGeechan at Wasps and Gatland at Wales, are obvious candidates.

Cardiff and Wales' backs coach Rob Howley is also likely to be considered as a respected ex-Wales and Lions player.

Highlighting his sense of what is required for this unique task, McGeechan added: "The coaches and players must come together quickly to work out what we want to try and do and the way we want to try and play.

"There are some exciting prospects around (in Britain and Ireland], and in the next 12 months there will be some more who come up that we're not even talking about at the moment. Having that open mind, before the tour and on the tour, is very important."