A lions coach must trust every player – kyle sinckler may have lost that in 2017

Sir Ian McGeechan 07 May 2021 7:30am BST I know from experience that when it comes to picking a Lions squad you cannot please everyone. There are always deserving players you cannot fit in.

It is always agonising. The fact that Warren Gatland let us know that he and his fellow coaches agonised for more than four hours on Wednesday, with Gats describing the final selection as

the “most challenging” of his career, was clearly intended to show they did not take any decision lightly. Looking at the squad, I do not think you can argue with any of it. Yes, there are

some surprising calls. But ultimately Gats and his coaches have to be singing from the same hymn sheet. This is their squad, their reputations on the line. They cannot be swayed by outside

influences or public opinion. This is where character – even more than form – plays a part. When you are agonising over those marginal calls, character is what you look for. Character and

temperament. You only get one shot at this every four years. If there are any doubts from any of the coaching team, about any player, they need to be taken seriously. The coaches have to be

able to trust every player they take implicitly. I wonder whether this was behind the omission of Kyle Sinckler, which was to my mind the most surprising of all (James Ryan was the only

other call that no one saw coming, but lock is arguably the Lions’ biggest position of strength). Sinckler has attributes that no other tighthead has. He has become a key asset for England

in recent years. But maybe he lost an element of trust where Gatland is concerned four years ago. Sinckler’s final contribution on that tour was to be arrested following a night out after

the third Test. Although he was released without charge, the Lions tour manager John Spencer did have to publicly remind him of his “responsibilities as a Lion”. Sinckler has grown as a

player and a man in the past four years. It would be unfair to hold that against him indefinitely. But he still has a slightly short fuse. With Tadhg Furlong back to his best, Zander

Fagerson impressing in the Six Nations, Andrew Porter able to play both sides, and no English coaches to advocate for him, perhaps Sinckler just did not have the faith of the entire

selection panel. Warren Gatland on his high-profile Lions omissions Similarly Ellis Genge, who some had tipped to be a bolter. Genge can be a devastating presence on the field. But if any of

the coaching group felt that his tendency to allow the red mist to descend on occasion might outweigh his usefulness, it would certainly have counted against him. Joe Marler would be the

other one. Again, one of the best looseheads out there. But as he himself admitted this week, if he was a selector, would he have gambled on a player who “has form of struggling mentally and

away from home?” It is a shame as I think Marler would have pushed for a starting Test spot this time around with Mako Vunipola not playing as well as he was four years ago. But entirely

understandable. Marler made another admission earlier this week, conceding that he did not react brilliantly to playing in the midweek games rather than the Tests in New Zealand four years

ago. I spoke about this aspect of touring in my column at the weekend. You absolutely cannot have that attitude, it can jeopardise team spirit. Everyone out there wants to play in the Tests,

but only 23 can make the match-day squad. The players who miss out simply have to support them. It’s part of the contract. I always cite Jason Leonard in 1997, putting his personal

disappointment aside to help prepare Paul Wallace and Tom Smith. That is the attitude you want. I think this squad has a solid feel to it, temperamentally and physically. They have clearly

resisted the urge to gamble on players such as Manu Tuilagi or Johnny Sexton, whose “durability” Gats openly questioned on Thursday. Instead they have opted for players such as Bundee Aki

and Chris Harris. Solid, dependable types who were both in good form during the Six Nations. Players' reactions to news of their Lions selections I think the selection offers an insight

into the way they want the Lions to play. They appear to have leant towards footballers who can offer physicality as well. Take Ryan. I think he maybe lost out to Jonny Hill and Iain

Henderson because at key times in the last two years, Ireland (and Leinster) have found themselves physically overwhelmed. Or Courtney Lawes. Lawes will have to prove his fitness over the

coming weeks, but he fits the mould of what the selectors are looking for. Plus Gats knows him and trusts him. He sees Lawes a role model for the younger players with his professional

attitude. Ultimately that is what you are after from a Lion; strength of character, dependability, reliability, positivity. For nine weeks they are a band of brothers and they will all need

to be there for each other. There will be 18 first-time tourists in South Africa this summer. It is one of the hardest places in the world to play rugby; an experience like no other. I wish

them every success. British and Irish Lions squad