Andy Farrell has insisted he will pick his British and Irish Lions squad solely on merit as he suggested he would have no qualms about leaving out players from one of the four nations altogether.
Ireland have announced that Paul O'Connell will take charge of the team this summer as they face Georgia and Portugal, with the bulk of the national coaching set-up joining Andy Farrell with the British and Irish Lions.
Coaching the Lions is the ultimate honour, but Ireland's recent form has made them a victim of their own success
The flow of coaching talent from - and back to - South Africa underscores the shrewd calculation of their all-conquering supremo.
There were positives again for England in Dublin and the talent is there but familiar failings suggest lessons are not being learned.
The British & Irish Lions have confirmed three key appointments to Head Coach Andy Farrell’s backroom team.
Should Joe Schmidt step aside after the Lions tour, is there a home-grown coach ready to take on the full weight of responsibility?
The Welshman, who was a Rugby World Cup winner with South Africa in 2019, was recruited by Borthwick for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
England have been off-the-pace in the last 12 months but the addition of the respected S&C coach will lick them into shape for the World Cup