Johnson Rules Out Coaching Role With Lions or England

The British and Irish Lions want a homegrown coach to lead their tour to South Africa in 2009 and are also striving to restore traditional old-school rugby values in the wake of Sir Clive Woodward's ill-starred 2005 expedition to New Zealand.

The identity of the next Lions coach is to be revealed in the spring after the Six Nations Championship but John Feehan, the Lions' chief executive, indicated yesterday that there was little chance of an overseas candidate being chosen.

"If you're judging a Lions coach, being homegrown will be a definite plus," said Feehan, who also suggested the tour party would have about 36 players, fewer than the bloated 2005 squad. The experiment of playing a warm-up game at home has also been abandoned in favor of a 10-game itinerary which includes three Tests against the new world champions.

Gerald Davies, the former Wales and Lions wing, will be tour manager and is involved in selecting Woodward's successor as part of a committee which also includes the former Lions Andy Irvine, Bill Beaumont and Noel Murphy. Each home union will be asked for a nomination but other coaches will be considered.

One name inevitably being touted is Martin Johnson, the only man to have captained two Lions tours. Yesterday, however, he distanced himself from an imminent return to the international scene, saying he should not be considered for a senior off-field role until he had coached or managed at a lower level.

"If I want to get back involved in coaching I don't think I'd try and go straight back in at that level," he said. "There's a perception that if I turn up everything will be all right but I'd never be arrogant enough to assume I could be a national team coach without any experience. Sometimes you have a feeling that it's not the right time to get involved. I think I retired at the right time and I think I'll know when it's the right time to come back."

What is not in doubt is the enduring popular appeal of the Lions - up to 50,000 supporters are expected to follow the team in South Africa. "Some say Lions tours are an anachronism," said Davies. "If that's the case, let's have more anachronisms."