The British & Irish Lions is the pinnacle of our sport - it was something I never achieved as a player so to be here as a coach is a great honour. Going all the way back to my junior rugby club Preston Grasshoppers I have dreamed of being involved.

Click here to buy your brand new Lions jersey from the Official Store

That great England and Lions second row Wade Dooley came from the same club as me so as a child I knew all about the famous Lions traditions. He was someone I was desperate to emulate and then I remember the 1997 Tour to South Africa so clearly. We all used to go to the club to watch the games. We would be going there for training but we would always make sure any session that we had was timed around the games so we could watch them. What a fantastic Tour it was, it was genuinely inspirational for a teenager like me so to be involved now is an amazing feeling.

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

Not only is it an honour to be part of the coaching team for the 2017 Tour, but I also view it as an opportunity – a fantastic challenge to go down to New Zealand and take on the All Blacks.