British and Irish Lions

Twickenham top brass have authorised the recruitment of a team manager and another specialist coach with Rob Andrew, the Rugby Football Union's elite rugby director, looking to fill both posts before the end of April.

Johnson, who led England to the 2003 World Cup, is favourite to become manager but Dallaglio has reservations about the former national team captain's credentials.

He told BBC Radio Five Live: "He was a fantastic player, one of the world's best players and one of the best the game has ever seen.

"But has he got enough hands-on experience working with a team in a different role to being a player?

"I'm sure he could slip seamlessly into that role provided he surrounds himself with the people that possess the strengths that possibly he hasn't got at the moment."

Three former British & Irish Lions will line-up against an England XV at Twickenham Stadium on Sunday as the Barbarians warm-up for their showdown with the 2013 tourists in Hong Kong next week.

Radike Samo, one of only two players still playing top level rugby in Australia who placed against the 2001 British & Irish Lions, will return to top flight action with Queensland Reds against the Stormers in Cape Town on Sunday.

British & Irish Lions hookers Dylan Hartley and Tom Youngs will fight out their own private duel in the Aviva Premiership final at Twickenham on Saturday and then become team mates for the next six weeks a day later.