Clive Woodward has a column in the Daily Mail and it is usually a very good read. Whatever you think about Woodward he was around the top level of rugby for a long time and has a lot of insight to offer. His piece on the 2003 Grand Slam decider was very interesting. This week he weighed in on the Lions tour and had some interesting advice for coach Warren Gatland.
"I have coached the Lions and I have coached England and even hinting that you would pick your squad, or base selection, on anything but merit is a danger."
"The Lions selection process is very simple: you pick the best players, based solely on merit. This was reinforced to me by spending a week with each team in 2005 and listening to the head coaches. I was fascinated to hear their opinions of England players, but not once did my selection come down to numbers.
"I have listened to many people’s opinion about the Lions tour I led in 2005, especially concerning my selection. It is always a controversial subject. All I can say is that I did everything I believed was right and in the interests of the team.
You can analyse it however you wish. We were up against one of the finest All Black sides I’ve ever seen and we lost to a superior team after we were depleted by injuries to some key players, including Brian O’Driscoll and Lawrence Dallaglio. Gatland has a dream ticket. This is a Lions tour that is there to be won."
Given that Woodward selected Tindall, Wilkinson, Hill and Back, all of whom were either carrying injuries or had no form, it is an interesting comment for Woodward to make. In a way he is acknowledging his own mistakes but also defends his selection and mitigates it with the fact that they were playing a supreme side. Woodward's comments come across as someone who thinks the current tour is easier than the one he faced, probably a true statement but one that isn't likely to endear him to the current Lions coaches.
h/t dailymail
