Wednesday 7 September 2016 14:27, UK
With Warren Gatland announced as Lions coach for next year's tour of New Zealand, we look at candidates to join his coaching set-up.
The odds are stacked against Gatland; no team has beaten the All Blacks in New Zealand for seven years, and the Premiership and PRO12 conclusions have given him an unsympathetic start to the campaign.
However the Wales boss has a bit of history on his side, having coached the Lions to victory over the Wallabies in 2013. But this challenge is far greater.
Gatland will announce his coaching staff in December, here we look at six potential candidates to join his team.
Schmidt previously claimed his Ireland contract didn't permit him from linking up with the Lions but the IRFU have stated they would not stand in his way.
The 50-year-old may have missed out on the head coach job but he was hugely successfully while working as a backs coach alongside Vern Cotter at Clermont Auvergne.
Teams coached by Schmidt not only tend to be successful, but are also renowned for their attacking play. Kicks at goal won't be good enough for the Lions in New Zealand, they need tries and plenty of them and Schmidt could be the ideal candidate to unlock the All Blacks defence.
Last month it was announced that Gregor Townsend will take over from Vern Cotter as coach of Scotland from June 2017. The fact that the start of his tenure as national coach coincides precisely with the first game of the Lions tour means it may be difficult to wrestle him away from his new office, but he has plenty to offer the Lions.
In 2015 the 43-year-old coached Glasgow to victory in the Guinness PRO12, winning praise not only for the title, but for the manner in which it was obtained. Townsend's Warriors play an expansive brand of rugby, but will that be what Warren Gatland is looking for?
Farrell formed part of the Lions coaching ticket during their series win in Australia four years ago, with Gatland selecting him as defence coach ahead of Wales colleague Shaun Edwards.
The former rugby league star was sacked by England following last year's disastrous World Cup exit but Ireland quickly swooped in to secure his services.
The players on the 2013 tour were full of praise for Farrell and Ireland have quickly bought into his style of coaching. The outstanding defensive effort in their historic win over South Africa in June, while playing with 14 men, underlines what he has brought to the side.
When Eddie Jones was appointed head coach by the RFU last year he voiced his desire to bring young English coaches into the national set-up.
The Australian brought Paul Gustard in from Saracens on the back of the Premiership club's famed 'Wolfpack' mentality, and England's defensive attitude has demonstratively changed as they remain unbeaten since Jones, Gustard and co arrived on the scene.
Gustard left Saracens in the middle of last season, but his former club went on to claim the European and Premiership double in May. The 40-year-old is relatively new to the international scene, but has already shown how he can impact teams when given the chance.
Another rugby league great, Edwards has enjoyed incredible success since turning his hand to coaching in the 15-man game. He won two European Cups and three Premiership titles with Wasps and three Six Nations with Wales, two of which were Grand Slams.
Edwards was defence coach when the Lions toured South Africa in 2009 but was controversially overlooked by Gatland four years later. However, he remains of the most highly-rated coaches in the northern hemisphere and the WRU recently blocked him from taking a coach role at Toulon.
After retiring on the back of a decorated career with England and Toulon, Wilkinson joined the TOP14 side as a kicking coach.
Wilkinson would add a wealth of experience to the set-up, having toured as a player in 2001 and 2005. The 2003 World Cup winner started in two of the three Tests of New Zealand's whitewash series win in 2005, so would be eager to set the record straight if given the chance as a coach.
One of the toughest components of a successful Lions tour is being able to forge relationships with little time. Having already worked closely with the likes of full-back Leigh Halfpenny at Toulon, and having played in the same England team as players such as Dylan Hartley and Ben Youngs, Wilkinson would fit seamlessly into the camp.
Watch what the Lions will be up against this Saturday when New Zealand take on Argentina, 8am Sky Sports 3 HD. Catch the match for £6.99 with a NOW TV day pass.
