Former British and Irish Lions coach Sir Ian McGeechan believes the Lions have the quality to overcome New Zealand ahead of their tour.
McGeechan has coached the Lions a record four times in 1989, 1993, 1997 and 2009 and if anyone is entitled to comment on the matter, it would be him.
Current Lions coach Warren Gatland was assistant to McGeechan on the 2009 tour to South Africa and Gatland will no doubt have sought the advice of the man whose autobiography, published in 2009, is entitled Lion Man.
McGeechan is a former Scottish international and coached his country to a Grand Slam in 1990. He admits that he would liked to have seen a few more Scotsmen in the touring squad but says he completely understands Gatland's reasoning.
McGeechan told The Rugby Paper: “You’d like to see another couple, but you can’t argue with the selections. You’ve got to respect the coaches and there’s a good argument for every player who’s been selected for having him in."
The Lions lost 3-0 the last time they toured New Zealand in 2005 but McGeechan believes this time around they have the added benefit of a New Zealander who understands the Kiwi rugby culture which, according to McGeechan, is very important.
"I think this tour will be very different to 2005 in that Warren as a New Zealander knows how much the Lions have to respect
and get to know the New Zealand environment and if you respect their rugby then you’ve got a chance of beating it," McGeechan said.
Meanwhile, the Lions legend has said that Gatland has not only selected players who will match the All Blacks physically but also
intelligent players who are good at making the right decisions on the field.
“The whole squad has options and variety and it’s got clever players," said McGeechan.
"Yes, you need physicality and there are a lot of big men, but you also need dynamic physicality, so you’ve got players who are confident in space and confident on one-to-one with a defender.
“I think they are good enough to beat New Zealand. In terms of quality, it’s an outstanding squad. It can definitely challenge the All Blacks who are favourites because they are world champions and they very rarely lose at home.
“Of all the international sides to take on New Zealand, the Lions’ potential to win is far greater.
And McGeechan has backed Ireland's Robbie Henshaw to start at number 13 but says that numbers 10 and 12 are as yet undecided in his mind.
“The centres have a good mix of pace and power and genuine steppers with genuine speed. I’ve always liked the look of Ireland’s Robbie Henshaw. He played exceptionally well against New Zealand in Chicago, so he’ll be a handful.
"I think it’s too early to be talking about who’ll play at 10 or 12. On paper, the two real Test animals are Jonathan Sexton and Owen Farrell. They are good decision makers.
"The critical thing here will be time together. You’ve got to develop the combination but in terms of quality and competitiveness there’s a strong unit there," added McGeechan.
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