Andy Farrell will wait until the end of the 2025 Six Nations to announce his coaching team for the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia.
Farrell has seconded from his role as Ireland head coach for this year’s Championship with Simon Easterby filling his void in the interim and will continue to do so in the summer.
This means that the interim coach is unlikely to be included in the Lions coaching staff unless there is a sudden change of plan.
Taking a sabbatical for the Six Nations has allowed Farrell to prepare for the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia with a key part of his preparation being who will make up his coaching staff.
When the Lions assistants will be confirmed
The first additions to his backroom team have already been revealed with David Nucifora, Aled Walters and Vinny Hammond being added to his ticket.
Nucifora joins as the General Manager, Performance while Walters will head up the Athletic Performance – a similar role to which he performed with the Springboks during the 2019 Rugby World Cup before doing the same with England four years later.
Meanwhile, Hammond returns for a third Lions tour as he takes on the role of Head of Analysis.
British and Irish Lions: Andy Farrell makes first coaching appointments ahead of Wallabies series
Farrell will reveal his assistant coaches for the tour on Wednesday, March 26 in London, eleven days after the final round of the Six Nations.
During the 2021 tour to South Africa, ex-Lions and Wales coach Warren Gatland added Scotland boss Gregor Townsend as the attack coach with Steve Tandy running the defence.
Leinster’s Robin McBryde toured as the team’s forwards coach while Neil Jenkins coached the kicking.
Shaun Edwards puts his hand up
It’s unclear whether Farrell will look to bring along coaches who have worked with him at Ireland or not but one man has made his feelings clear about joining the coaching team.
That is France defence coach Shaun Edwards who played alongside Farrell at Wigan during their respective rugby league playing careers.
“I’d swim it to Australia if Faz gives me a shout,” Edwards told the Times.
“I know that if you’re in good form, then you have a chance. That probably means winning the Six Nations.”
The Lions’ first game will be on home soil as they clash with Argentina at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin before they depart for Australia.
They then kick off their tour with a match against the Western Force followed by meetings with the Queensland Reds, NSW Waratahs, Brumbies and an invitational AU & NZ team.
The first Test match takes place at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane on July 19 with a fixture against a team still to be confirmed in Melbourne before the second Test at the MCG in Melbourne.
The tour concludes with the third Test at the Accor Stadium in Sydney on August 2.
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/british-and-irish-lions-when-andy-farrell-will-name-the-rest-of-his-coaching-team
