Barnes: Robertson the right man for the 2025 Lions job

Stuart Barnes has backed Crusaders' head coach Scott Robertson as the next head coach of the British and Irish Lions.

The British and Irish Lions have left the door open for Warren Gatland for the tour to Australia in four years time, however, Barnes believes it's time for change with Barnes picking out his stand out candidate.

“The only coach with that joyousness is the Crusaders' Scott Robertson. Ask him (and maybe steal him from under the All Blacks' noses) and take Ronan O' Gara as No 2,” Barnes wrote in his latest column for The Times.

“That's a combination that would have beaten a Springbok team there for the taking.

“Let's have someone who will breakdance when his team win, as Robertson does.

“Let's have a coach who will install ambition rather than fear of failure. I'd sign Robertson tomorrow; the rest can wait two years.

“Gatland is a proud Lion and a good man. But that doesn't give him the right to manage the Lions in perpetuity. His record does not speak for itself.

“Four years is a ridiculously long time in sport. Four tours, on the evidence of the previous three, does not add up. If ‘the door is open’ it should be politely closed. It is time to thank him and move onwards.”

Robertson and O'Gara worked together at the Crusaders winning two Super Rugby titles together. O'Gara has since gone onto to shine with La Rochelle as the side's head coach helping the side reach the final of the Champions Cup and Top 14. He takes over as the Director of Rugby of the French club this season. 

Before the Lions confirmed the coaching staff for the tour to South Africa, Scott Robertson approached Gatland about joining the team with a desire to fill out his CV with international coaching experience after missing out on the All Black job.

“We’ve had some good conversations the last couple of weeks around the opportunity. I’m looking at potentially being involved with the team, that could play against the Springboks and then stay on in some capacity." Robertson told the New Zealand Herald.

“It wasn’t an assistant role I was wanting it was a learning opportunity for me, [to] help a lot around the professional development and support their current coaching group, it wasn’t about being an assistant as such.