Adam Jones, the ex-Wales prop, has thrown his hat into the ring to become the scrum coach for Andy Farrell’s British and Irish Lions squad on their upcoming tour of Australia.
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With experience from his Lions tours in 2009 and 2013, Jones, now 43, has been instrumental in guiding Harlequins to the Champions Cup semifinals, marked by their thrilling 42-41 victory over Bordeaux Bègles.
Adding to the coaching mix, Scotland’s head honcho, Gregor Townsend, has also emerged as a contender for a position during the Australian tour.
Jones told the Times’ Ruck Podcast. “If Faz wanted to take me, I’d bite his hand off. 100 per cent, I think I could do a job as a scrum coach for the Lions.
“It’s a funny one with the Lions, as a scrum coach, you’re not going to change a lot of technique as these are the best props from the home unions. There’s not a lot you can do around that. But if that job ever came up, I’d bite their hand off. I’ve been twice as a player.
“I don’t think there’s many ex-Lions players coaching teams at the scrum anyway. Is Ieuan Evans chairman this year? I’ll give Ieuan a ring and see if he can sort me out!”
Joining Jones in potential roles are other Lions luminaries like Paul O’Connell, currently collaborating with Farrell at Ireland, and former England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson, who could take up the mantle of specialist kicking coach.
Sir Ian McGeechan names only THREE English players in his British & Irish Lions XV
At 77 years old, McGeechan, renowned for his significant coaching achievements with the Lions, shared his selection with I News.
McGeechan served as the head coach for the British and Irish Lions during their 1989, 1991, 1995, and 2009 tours.
He also contributed to the coaching team in 2005 under Warren Gatland. Additionally, he held coaching positions with Scotland, Northampton Saints, Wasps, and Bath, the latter from 2010 to 2012.
As a player, McGeechan, a fly-half or centre, earned 32 caps for Scotland and played in eight matches for the Lions during the 1974 and 1977 tours.
Despite Scotland and Wales finishing above other nations in the Six Nations, only two players from these teams made it into McGeechan’s chosen squad.
McGeechan’s Lions XV:
15 Blair Kinghorn – Scotland
14 Duhan van der Merwe – Scotland
13 Tommy Freeman – England
12 Sione Tuipulotu – Scotland
11 James Lowe – Ireland
10 Finn Russell – Scotland
9 Jamison Gibson-Park – Ireland