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Andy Farrell hopes to have greater clarity on a potential coaching role with the British and Irish Lions by the end of the month but insists his Ireland commitments will take precedence.<\/p>\nAndy Farrell hopes to have greater clarity on a potential coaching role with the British and Irish Lions by the end of the month but insists his Ireland commitments will take precedence.<\/p>\n
Lions head coach Warren Gatland is reported to be assembling a formidable coaching line-up for this summer\u2019s series in South Africa, including Ireland boss Farrell and Scotland coach Gregor Townsend.<\/p>\n
Uncertainty still surrounds that trip due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, while a possible Irish tour of the Pacific islands is also up in the air.<\/p>\n
Farrell, whose immediate focus is on his side\u2019s two remaining Guinness Six Nations games, was coy about the situation as he awaits further information.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am as updated as you are on all the different ramifications that are being bounced about from day to day,\u201d said the 45-year-old, who was Lions defense coach on the 2013 tour of Australia.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s nothing I know of that\u2019s going on at this moment in time that gives any clarity on the situation whatsoever.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t know whether there is a Lions tour going on, we don\u2019t know whether there is a southern tour going on with Ireland.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hear that hopefully by the end of the month we will know something more concrete.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The Lions are scheduled to play a warm-up match against Japan in Edinburgh on June 26 before travelling to South Africa.<\/p>\n
Tests against the Springboks are due to be played on July 24 and August 7 in Johannesburg, either side of a match in Cape Town on July 31.<\/p>\n
Asked if he would like to be involved, Farrell replied: \u201cLike I\u2019ve always said \u2013 and it\u2019s the truth \u2013 I will always do the right thing for Irish rugby.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt this moment in time, we don\u2019t know whether one tour\u2019s going ahead, whether both tours are going ahead, or vice versa.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve no clarity and no certainty on anything yet, so I suppose we will have to wait until the end of the month.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to a report in the Daily Telegraph on Wednesday, New Zealander Gatland is lining up Farrell, Townsend and England\u2019s defense coach John Mitchell for his management team.<\/p>\n
Leicester head coach Steve Borthwick, Munster forwards coach Graham Rowntree and Wales skills coach Neil Jenkins could also be involved.<\/p>\n
Farrell would require permission from the Irish Rugby Football Union to join Gatland\u2019s staff.<\/p>\n
He is unsure whether an Ireland tour going ahead would definitely rule him out of Lions involvement.<\/p>\n
\u201cAgain, we don\u2019t know what that tour looks like yet,\u201d he said of Ireland\u2019s possible trip to the southern hemisphere.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know what\u2019s happening as far as the Lions is concerned regarding warm-up matches.<\/p>\n
\u201cI suppose the fallout from those warm-up matches is going to have different ramifications on what happens with the rest of world rugby and who\u2019s available for tours, so we don\u2019t know what the map looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ireland are currently preparing to face Scotland on March 14, before completing their Six Nations campaign at home to England six days later.<\/p>\n
Farrell has this week been boosted by captain Johnny Sexton and flanker Peter O\u2019Mahony agreeing contract extensions with the IRFU.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s fantastic news. Two very important pieces of our jigsaw going forward for all sorts of reasons,\u201d said Farrell.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are delighted to get their contracts over the line and settle their futures, and we\u2019re even more so delighted for them.\u201d<\/p>\n