LIONS TOUR AUSTRALIA 2013

THE INNER CIRCLE WHO WILL STAFF GATLANDS THINK TANK?

Shaun Edwards
The one-time rugby league maestro has been Gatlands go-to man for years. The defence specialist takes his work extremely seriously and has unfinished business after the Lions narrow defeat in South Africa in 2009.

THE CAPTAIN WHO WILL ACT AS GATLANDS STANDARD-BEARER?

7 Chris Robshaw
Englands skipper will travel if he continues in his current vein, but will he make the Test side? Few loose forwards are better at maximising performance, but Saturday places will be bitterly contested.

FIXTURES
Sat 1 June Barbarians - Hong Kong Wed 5 June Western Force - Perth Sat 8 June Queensland Reds - Brisbane Wed 12 June Combined New Sth Wales & Queensland Country - Newcastle Sat 15 June New Sth Wales Waratahs Sydney Tue 18 June Brumbies Rugby Canberra Sat 22 June Australia - Brisbane (First Test) Tue 25 June Melbourne Rebels Melbourne Sat 29th June Australia - Melbourne (Second Test) Sat 6th July Australia - Sydney Third Test)
GRAPHIC: JOHN BRADLEY

13 Brian ODriscoll
The great Irish centre fancies one last shot at participating in a Lions series victory and while some of his powers are fading, he remains astonishingly competitive. Where he leads, others follow.

Brisbane Perth Newcastle Sydney Canberra Melbourne

Rob Howley The

former Lions Test scrum-half will run the Wales show in Gatlands absence and could also travel to Australia as architect of the tourists attacking game.

Joe Schmidt
The double Heineken Cupwinning coach has been instrumental in making Dublin the European capital of attacking rugby, as we saw last season when his brilliant Leinster side ran riot against all-comers.

Lions tour record v Australia

Graham Rowntree
Fast improving as an all-round forwards coach and a master of rugby communication. Englands scrum is now a serious force and leaving aside the odd problem in South Africa last June, it is rarely penalised.
WON

LOST

Andy Farrell
A long-odds bet but his contribution to Englands unexpectedly successful Six Nations campaign earlier this year marked him out as a shrewd strategist who says all the right things.

7 Sam Warburton
The obvious front-runner a specialist open-side flanker capable of living with, perhaps even subduing, the brilliant Wallaby breakaway David Pocock. But the injury-prone Welshman cannot afford to miss too much rugby.

LIONS IN NUMBERS

Gatland is the second New Zealander to lead the Lions after Graham Henry in 2001

12

years since the Lions last tour of Australia where they lost 2-1 in 2001

15

Tests the Lions have won of 20 against Australia