Shortlist.

Warren Gatland is expected to be announced head coach of the British and Irish Lions for the third consecutive tour in the coming days.

The New Zealander is said to have agreed terms personally with an announcement imminent. Gatland started off an an assistant the last time the Lions toured South Africa, but who will he bring along with him in 2023?

The obvious favourites are Andy Farrell, who has toured with Gatland and the Lions on more than one tour, along with other favourites Neil Jenkins and Rob Howley.

But with Farrell set to take over as head coach of Ireland, he might not be available this time round. Howley and Gatland are also set to go their separate ways so he might be out of the picture.

So who else is in the frame? The three interesting ones that pop up straight away at very short odds are Ronan O’Gara, Adam Jones and two-time tour captain Sam Warburton.

All three have a wealth of experience in terms of Lions tours and would no doubt be fan favourites. Who would you like to see assist Gatland in South Africa?

The current odds for assistants according to SportNation are:

Ronan O’Gara 2/1; Sam Warburton  4/1; Alex Sanderson 3/1; Adam Jones  3/1; Rob Howley  1/2; Steve Borthwick 6/5; Andy Farrell 8/15; Neil Jenkins  4/9; Graham Rowntree   4/6.