Warren Gatland named British & Irish Lions coach for 2021 tour

The British & Irish Lions are 8-13 to record a series win in South Africa in 2021 after Warren Gatland was named as head coach for a third tour.

Only Sir Ian McGeechan has taken charge of three tours before, and Gatland was the forwards coach when the Lions last went to South Africa in 2009 with McGeechan as head coach.

Since then Gatland, who will step down as Wales coach after the World Cup, has led the Lions to a 2-1 series win in Australia in 2013 and a tied series in New Zealand in 2017.

The 2009 tour ended in a 2-1 defeat to the Springboks but it was not without excitement and incident. The Lions fought back from 26-7 down in the first Test to lose 26-21 and were level at 25-25 with 80 minutes gone in the second only to lose to a last-gasp penalty from 53 metres. The final Test ended in a 28-9 success for the tourists.

The Lions are 8-13 to claim the spoils this time while the Boks are 7-4 and another tied series is a 33-1 shot. Alun-Wyn Jones is 3-1 favourite to be named captain.

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