British and Irish Lions: Scrapping the tour would be 'biggest tragedy in world rugby', says Laurie Mains

Speaking to The Independent, the former All Blacks head coach adds that Warren Gatland should be considered as a leading candidate to replace Steve Hansen one day

Maro Itoje celebrates the Lions' memorable victory in Wellington with fans (Getty)

The British and Irish Lions have received a ringing endorsement from the ex-New Zealand coach Laurie Mains, who claims scrapping their tours would be “the biggest tragedy in world rugby”.

Mains is mightily impressed with the tourists’ burgeoning progress in New Zealand – and says their “quite outstanding” Kiwi supremo Warren Gatland deserves to be considered for the All Blacks coach’s role one day.

His rich praise reflects a seismic mood change in his homeland, whose fiercely partisan fans and media had largely written off the Lions after their stuttering start to the tour.

Two tour game losses and a first Test defeat precipitated fears that the Lions were little more than cannon fodder for the All Blacks – and an endangered species.

Yet the Lions can now achieve immortality on Saturday if they beat the world champions in the series decider in Auckland, after levelling the three-Test series with a gritty 24-21 victory last weekend.

Mains, who coached the All Blacks to a 2-1 series triumph over the Lions in 1993, says the tourists have already “become hugely popular” in New Zealand.

Ahead of the Eden Park encounter, he told The Independent: “I am expecting it to be one hell of game. [The Lions] have improved dramatically during the course of the tour and shown us some real talent.”

The 71-year-old former full-back was part of the All Blacks squad that suffered their last series defeat to the Lions – a 2-1 reverse – in 1971, but he is saddened that Gatland’s men may still not be considered “household names” like Carwyn James’s heroes, even if they match their historic feat, given the scheduling constraints they have faced.

“I just wish they’d had another three or four games before the first Test and then we’d be seeing the best of them.”

Mains supports the widely voiced view that the Lions have been hampered by a “suicide tour” cramming 10 games, including three Tests, into five weeks. He is staggered that Gatland was without 27 of his initial 41-man squad when they first assembled in May due to club commitments.

Of the fact that some leading English Premiership officials such as Exeter Chiefs chairman Tony Rowe have called for Lions tours to be cut, even though they are already at the limits of their viability, Mains added: “The national bodies in the UK [and Ireland] need to get hold of their game and stop the clubs dictating to them. It just doesn’t happen in New Zealand and it doesn’t happen in Australia.

“If the Lions [died], that could be the biggest tragedy that could hit world rugby right now. It is by far the most popular tour that ever comes to New Zealand. Whoever is suggesting that needs to go back to the root cause of why the Lions in professional rugby can’t perform as well as they used to – and it is simply a lack of preparation and tours being too short.

“It’s not like a Wallaby team or a Springbok team or an All Blacks team, whose players all know each other and they come from the same country. I remember back when I was coaching and when I played, the Lions probably had eight or 10 games here before they had to put a Test team out.”

Mains, who made 15 appearances for his country between 1971-76 and who ended his three-year stint in charge of the All Blacks after they lost the 1995 World Cup final to South Africa, added: “I was fortunate to play against that great 1971 Lions team. You look at the household names that were in that team, the likes of David Duckam, JPR Williams, Gerald Davies, John Dawes, Mike Gibson, Barry John, Gareth Edwards and quite a lot of the forwards as well.

“This [2017] Lions team here, had they had a full tour, a lot of these players would have become household names as well. I can see a lot of ability in a lot of these players. But their opportunities to produce their best form have been severely restricted by the nature of the tour and the shortness of it. We don’t know these players as well as we got to know the Lions tourists of the past.”

Asked which Lions had caught his eye, he said: “[Number seven] Sean O’Brien has impressed me greatly. [Scrum-half] Conor Murray has been just superb. The wings and full-back [Liam Williams] and centre [Jonathan] Davies, they’ve all shown glimpses of their potential and what they could achieve if they’d had more time together.

“The front row has players with great futures and they’re very highly respected already, as are all the locks, who would become household names, too, if there were a few more games.”

One man who certainly enjoys renown in his homeland is Gatland, the former Waikato hooker and coach.

Mains says the Wales coach and his “coaching and management team” have been “quite outstanding given the arduous tour they’ve had”.

Could Gatland replace Steve Hansen in charge of the All Blacks after the 2019 World Cup, then?

“He definitely deserves to be in the conversation, no doubt about that,” Mains replied, adding that other “top-quality” Kiwis Dave Rennie, the new Glasgow Warriors coach, and Jamie Joseph, who is in charge of Japan, would also merit consideration. “Warren Gatland is very well respected in New Zealand. He was as a player and as a coach and he certainly is as Wales and Lions coach. He should be a candidate for any team he wants to apply for.”

Mains was “disgusted” that “the irresponsible” The New Zealand Herald derided Gatland as a clown earlier in the tour.

“The rugby people of New Zealand treated that article with the contempt it deserved.”

He also refutes “the myth” that Gatland is obsessed with his so-called ‘Warrenball’philosophy, which supposedly eschews flair in favour of physicality, claiming the Lions have demonstrated “creativity”, even when they butchered chances early on in the tour, and had proved “strong and enterprising” in scoring two tries in the second Test.

Mains is similarly empathetic with Gatland’s counterpart, Hansen, given that 14 years ago he was in the same predicament after his side lost the second Test.

The rugby people of New Zealand treated that article with the contempt it deserved.

Laurie Mains

On that occasion, the chastened All Blacks responded with an emphatic 30-13 victory in the series decider, and Mains hopes the 2017 vintage will rise to the occasion again.

“I’m sure they’ll come out and play an awful lot better than they did last week and it’s just the way All Blacks are. If they have a bad Test, they always perform very much better in the next Test.”

Mains insists Hansen’s position will not be in jeopardy if the All Blacks lose, given the 58-year-old has presided over only five losses from 71 Tests.

Has Hansen gambled, however, by picking a largely callow back-line featuring two men who will win only their second caps – the full-back Jordie Barrett and the Ngani Laumape at centre?

Mains insists such selections are “calculated decisions” from “some pretty wise heads on the selection panel”, however.

Mains thinks highly of his compatriot Gatland (Getty)

He says the All Blacks’ glut of absentees, such as the injured centre and “steadying hand”, Ryan Crotty, necessitated changes and backs the return of the prolific and experienced Julian Savea on the wing.

Of Savea, who was dropped in favour of Rieko Ioane for the first two Tests, despite being the All Blacks’ joint-second record try-scorer with 46, he said: “Julian Savea seems to be a player who really turns it on when he’s been dropped and gets another chance.”

Yet Mains concedes that Barrett and Laumape will be “under tremendous pressure” because Saturday’s showdown has been billed as the most important game on home soil since the 2011 World Cup final.

“It all boils down to whether they’ve got the confidence to play their natural game, or whether they go into their shell a bit.”

He added: “It’s going to be very difficult for the All Blacks. I think they’ll win, but I think they’re going to have to play very well to achieve that.”