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British and Irish Lions team head coach Warren Gatland (2ndL) walks his assistant coaches Andy Farrell(L),Graham Rowntree (2ndR) and Rob Howley after their press conference for their tour to Australia in 2013 in South Queensferry, Scotland. REUTERS/David Moir
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British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland has named Rob
Howley, Graham Rowntree and Andy Farrell as his assistants
for next year's tour of Australia.
Gatland has overlooked his Wales assistant Shaun Edwards, who
was a member of the coaching staff for the 2009 Lions tour of
South Africa along with Welsh attack coach Howley and England
forwards coach Rowntree.
Farrell, who has been in charge of England's defence and
backs since June, will be making his first Lions tour.
"I am delighted with today's appointments and confident that
Rob, Graham, Andy and myself can come together quickly to
face one of the hardest rugby challenges," Gatland told a
news conference in Edinburgh.
"Lions' tours are unique as we have to mould together players
from four different countries in an incredibly short space of
time."
Gatland said he was relishing the chance to work with
Farrell, a dual rugby union and league international.
"To be honest, picking Andy is a bit of a selfish
appointment. It gives me the chance to work with someone with
fresh ideas who I haven't worked with before. It will enable
me to develop and look at the game differently as well,"
Gatland said.
WORK ETHIC
England head coach Stuart Lancaster sent his congratulations
to Rowntree and Farrell and said the appointment of his two
England assistants was a testament to their work ethic.
"I am delighted for Andy and Graham. They have worked hard to
achieve this honour and it is a credit to them, the England
team and the RFU that they have been asked to coach the best
players from the Home Unions. We wish them and the Lions
every success," Lancaster said in an Rugby Football Union
statement.
England will have five representatives in the Lions coaching
and management teams including senior physiotherapist Phil
Pask, national fitness coach Paul Stridgeon and senior
England teams media manager Dave Barton.
The Lions begin the tour with a match against the Barbarians
on June 1 in Hong Kong before travelling to Australia where
they play five warmup matches ahead of the first of three
tests against the Wallabies.
The Welsh Rugby Union said Robin McBryde would act as interim
coach during Wales's two-test tour of Japan next year.
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