Warren Gatland Backs Rival To Succeed Him As British & Irish Lions Coach

“3-0 would be expected.”

Warren Gatland has backed Eddie Jones to succeed his as British & Irish Lions boss ahead Wales’ crucial Six Nations clash with England this weekend.

Gatland has taken charge of the last two Lions tours in-a-row, defeating Australia 2-1 in the 2013 series, before drawing with the All Blacks in New Zealand over the summer.

The Wales boss has since said it’s unlikely he will coach the Lions again, having also been involved in the 2009 tour of South Africa as an assistant coach. Instead he’s back the man he will come up against this weekend in Eddie Jones.

“He’d do a great job as Lions coach. 3-0 would be expected. It’s probably the easiest of the three tours isn’t it?” Gatland after naming his Wales team yesterday.

“I’m learning from him. He’s doing a great job so I’m watching him pretty closely. I’m just intrigued by watching him, the way he coaches his team. You learn as much as you possibly can from everyone. That’s part of the game.”

Ahead of this weekend’s game, Gatland said the secret to winning at Twickenham, where Wales last had success in the 2015 Rugby World Cup, was not being intimidated and believing in oneself.

“It’s about being prepared to play at a high intensity. Play with composure and patience and that’s the key. Not being intimidated by the Twickenham factor at all. There are a lot of guys in this squad who will go there with a lot of confidence.

“Everyone talks about how much they dislike the English but I think the relationship between England and Wales has always been close. It’s the rugby that brings the two nations together. I think that’s what makes the relationship special.”

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