Need a hand?

Crusaders boss Scott Robertson has approached British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland about assisting him on next year’s tour of South Africa.

Having just recently won the inaugural Super Rugby Aotearoa, and guided the Crusaders to three successive Super Rugby titles before that, Robertson is regarded as one of the best coaches in the game right now.

But he was recently overlooked for the All Blacks job and now he wants to gain some international experience by joining Gatland’s ticket to take on the world champion Springboks next year.

And Robertson has already spoken to Gatland with the pair having a “couple of good conversations.”

“Once I missed the All Blacks job I actually reached out to Gats and asked him if I could go on that tour,” Robertson told the New Zealand Herald website.

“I thought, ‘look if I can’t be involved with the All Blacks, what’s the biggest thing – or actually bigger in its own self, the Lions tour – to get involved’.

“I said ‘look, I would love to help you if I can’.

“I’m waiting. We’ll see what happens. But we had a couple of good conversations since and he’s got to go through his line of management to make a decision.”

The Lions tour is due to start in July and comprises eight matches, culminating in three Tests against world champions South Africa. Leinster coach Stuart Lancaster has also been linked with a Lions role with Gatland also expected to reach out to his “old guard” in Neil Jenkins and Graham Rowntree.

Andy Farrell and Steve Borthwick will likely be unavailable with both recently becoming head coaches with Ireland and Leicester respectively.

“Something that really drives me and motivates me is probably to learn and understand,” Robertson added.

“Obviously Gats has been hugely successful at the international level as a coach so he’s a person to learn off and also allows me to not have to go offshore to actually coach and get that international experience.”

Sounds like a plan to us. Get this man on board.