Lions head coach Andy Farrell has turned to three of his assistants from the Irish set-up – Simon Easterby, Andrew Goodman and John Fogarty – to form the spine of his coaching team for the tour to Australia.
As first revealed by Telegraph Sport, Farrell wanted to rely upon his tried-and-trusted lieutenants, however he has added England senior coach Richard Wigglesworth and Scotland forwards coach John Dalziel to complete his ticket.
Easterby, who has been acting as stand-in for Farrell as Ireland head coach, will lead the defence, Fogarty the scrum and the relatively unheralded Dalziel will take charge of the line-out.
Wigglesworth and Goodman, who specialises in strike plays, are listed as assistant coaches and it is not clear who will head up the attack and who will focus on skills.
It is a green coaching team in many senses with none of Farrell’s assistants having previously coached in a Lions series. At this stage no set roles have been assigned to the five assistants.
Farrell, however, coached on the 2013 tour against Australia and the 2017 drawn series against New Zealand under Warren Gatland. Unlike Gatland, Farrell takes a far more hands-on role in his coaching. He will announce his squad to tour Australia on May 8.
Farrell said the coaches had come up with an approximate 75-player longlist for the summer tour. “Every single one of them deserves to be on that list,” he said.
“There’s going to be a hell of a lot of good players who don’t make the plane and that’s exactly where we want to be. We want to be as competitive as we possibly can. Obviously, we’re going to be watching other games that are coming up.”
After unveiling his coaching team in central London on Wednesday morning, Farrell said: “This is a special day for The British & Irish Lions and our five new assistant coaches who came together yesterday for the very first time.
“Putting together a Lions coaching team is an honour and a privilege – and the five phone calls made to this group of coaches reminds you just how special and unique it is.
“This coaching group has versatility and are interchangeable in their skill set, which is a vital asset to have on a Lions tour. I think we have a fantastic mix and every one of these guys will bring their own character and personality to the team.
“A Lions tour is all about understanding the demands that we will face on and off the pitch and a fresh perspective amongst this coaching group is something that I am really excited by. We now have a month-and-a-half to come together and select players ahead of a historic squad announcement at the O2 in front of our Lions fans.”
The Lions face Argentina in Dublin on Friday, June 20 before the squad travel Down Under for five warm-up matches. They then face the first of three Tests against the Wallabies on July 19 in Brisbane. The second Test is in Melbourne on July 26, with the third in Sydney on August 2.
Who’s who in Farrell’s coaching team?
Simon Easterby
Age: 49
Current job: Ireland interim head coach (normally in charge of defence)
Lions experience: Zero tours as coach; one as a player
Coaching credentials: A tourist as a rounded flanker on the ill-fated 2005 tour, Easterby won 65 caps for Ireland and another two for the Lions before taking the leap to coaching.
Easterby spent two years as the Scarlets defence coach before moving into the head coach role. In 2014, he then joined Joe Schmidt’s Ireland coaching team as forwards coach. He switched to defence in 2021 under Andy Farrell and took interim charge of Ireland in the 2025 Six Nations in Farrell’s absence. With Easterby as assistant, Ireland won two Six Nations titles (in 2023 and 2024) with one Grand Slam (in 2023).
Richard Wigglesworth
Age: 41
Current job: England senior assistant coach (in charge of attack)
Lions experience: Zero tours
Coaching credentials: The youngest of Farrell’s assistants, the former England scrum-half transitioned into coaching while a player-coach at Leicester, leading a Premiership title victory with the Tigers. He then took the reins fully on a temporary basis upon Steve Borthwick’s departure to England in 2022.
Wigglesworth joined Borthwick before the 2023 World Cup and has been leading England’s attack since. Last year, he was promoted to senior assistant coach in Borthwick’s set-up and his inclusion is reward for England’s second-place Six Nations finish.
Andrew Goodman
Age: 42
Current job: Ireland backs coach
Lions experience: Zero tours
Coaching credentials: The New Zealand-born Goodman is the sole “foreign” coach in Farrell’s cabal and has been running the Irish attack alongside the head coach since the 2024 Six Nations, when he replaced England World Cup winner Mike Catt.
Goodman was poached from Leinster, where he was the brains behind the province’s attack from the start of the 2022-23 season, having helped the Crusaders to the Super Rugby title a few months earlier. The former fly-half and centre – who played for Leinster between two stints in Japan – was also a part of Samoa’s coaching team at the 2023 World Cup. Ireland won the 2024 Six Nations with Goodman as an assistant.
John Dalziel
Age: 48
Current job: Scotland forwards coach
Lions experience: Zero tours
Coaching credentials: A former flanker with Gala, Melrose, London Scottish and then the professional (now defunct) Border Reivers outfit, Dalziel joined the senior Scotland set-up as forwards coach ahead of the 2020-21 season.
Between his playing retirement and role alongside Gregor Townsend, he was the forwards and head coach at Melrose, the head coach of Scotland under-20s and sevens, and the forwards coach of London Scottish and then Glasgow. It was from the Warriors where he was poached by Townsend in 2020. Scotland won the most line-outs of any nation in the 2025 Six Nations under Dalziel’s tutelage.
John Fogarty
Age: 47
Current job: Ireland scrum coach
Lions experience: Zero tours
Coaching credentials: Having began his playing career in 2000 for Munster, it took Fogarty another 10 years to win his first and only cap for Ireland, as a replacement in the loss to New Zealand. Fogarty, whose playing career was more well known for stints at hooker with Connacht and Leinster, did however make numerous appearances for Ireland A before his retirement because of concussion in 2010.
Upon retirement, Fogarty became an elite player development officer with Leinster, while also fulfilling the role of scrum coach with Ireland Under-20s. In June 2015 he became the senior scrum coach at Leinster before moving up to the international arena in 2020. As with Easterby, Ireland have won two Six Nations titles with one Grand Slam since Fogarty’s arrival.
10:25 AM GMT
More from head coach Farrell
“This is a special day for The British & Irish Lions and our five new Assistant Coaches who came together yesterday for the very first time. “Putting together a Lions coaching team is an honour and a privilege - and the five phone calls made to this group of coaches reminds you just how special and unique it is.
“This coaching group has versatility and are interchangeable in their skillset, which is a vital asset to have on a Lions Tour. I think we have a fantastic mix and every one of these guys will bring their own character and personality to the team.
“A Lions Tour is all about understanding the demands that we will face on and off the pitch and a fresh perspective amongst this coaching group is something that I am really excited by.
“We now have a month and a half to come together and select players ahead of an historic squad announcement at The O2 in front of our Lions fans.”
10:16 AM GMT
Richard Wigglesworth on the honour of being selected
“My five year old Margo wanted to play outside so I was kicking a ball around with her and saw Faz’s name pop up and thought ‘I best answer this’. He eventually got to it and asked me, there were a fair few expletives and some other stuff. An incredible moment. I probably have to suppress [a smile] it because I’d be doing cartwheels on the stage with how I feel. All of us can’t wait to get going working with this group of players.”
10:15 AM GMT
Kiwi Andrew Goodman speaks
“Massive privilege, I genuinely understand how important this tour is. It was always a pinnacle Lions tour when they came down our way. Around the attack that Wiggy, myself and Faz are going to have a big influence on. The unique way the tour works with the game coming thick and fast... it’s really simple messages. We want to have an attack the excites them, that excites the fans coming over.”
10:11 AM GMT
John Fogarty speaks
“You’re over the moon and so excited. I instantly rang my wife, went into the house with my kids and explained to them I’m going to go on this Lions tour, you’re going to go to Australia and I said [you’ve got to keep this quiet]. Incredibly proud, I rang my mum and you see how special the Lions is when you speak to your family.”
10:09 AM GMT
Simon Easterby
“I’ve been very lucky with my coaching career to get to work for great people. When Faz messaged me to say I’d like to speak to you... he doesn’t usually do that. I was a bit surprised but obviously delighted to get the opportunity to take part in another tour. Lions tours are about connective... it’s incredible how quickly you can make connections.
“We’ve got to be on the same page very quickly as a coaching group so that when the players come in we are already a step ahead. It’s the biggest challenge to bring four nations together to go and compete against, not only a brilliant team but also going to Australia.”
10:07 AM GMT
More from John Dalziel
“The emotion when I got the phone call from Andy... absolutely amazing. The pinnacle of anyone’s career and the best phone call I’ve had in my life. It’s about the collective, about us all integrating and getting the best plan on the field.”
10:00 AM GMT
Steve Borthwick on Richard Wigglesworth
“Richard’s inclusion is a well-deserved recognition of his outstanding coaching and the success he’s achieved with England’s attack. Being involved in a Lions touring party is a huge honour, and we’re all incredibly proud to see him in Andy’s management team. I have no doubt he’ll continue to inspire and improve those around him in Australia.”
09:59 AM GMT
Dalziel on being appointed assistant coach
“It’s a huge honour and I am massively thankful for the opportunity. It’s a real pinch yourself moment. Even from our first meeting as coaches you could feel the energy in the room and it is hugely exciting to work with these guys. To get the chance to also work with players from other nnions that you see from afar will be a great challenge.
“And what a start we have to the Tour with the game against Argentina in Dublin – one of the form teams in the world right now. It will be a huge occasion with the Lions’ very first game in Ireland.”
09:58 AM GMT
Five assistant coaches
Here they are:
John Dalziel (Scotland)
Simon Easterby (Ireland)
John Fogarty (Ireland)
Andrew Goodman (Ireland)
Richard Wigglesworth (England)
09:54 AM GMT
We are about to get confirmation of the coaches
So we will update you on that very shortly indeed.
09:47 AM GMT
Specialist scrum and line-out coaches expected
We’ve come a long way from 1997 when it was only (Telegraph Sport’s own) Sir Ian McGeechan and Jim Telfer running things as coaches. The 2025 Lions are expected to have specialist scrum and line-out coaches, as reported by Dan Schofield last night.
09:44 AM GMT
Who is John Dalziel?
By Alan Dymock
As a player Dalziel was robust and focussed; the right kind of hard you need for a long season and exactly the type of character the Borders needed for the last few seasons of their backs-against-the-wall existence.
After the pro team folded, the Gala lad threw himself into the club game and led Melrose to league titles, as well as captaining the amateur Club XV against counterparts from Ireland and France’s leagues. Known to most simply as ‘JD’, his leadership style was one of empathy and understanding but firm and to the point when needed.
Yes he was a six who covered every blade of grass and would throw himself at every loose ball, but his soft skills in the loose and the line-out were so bankable and it is in this facet of play that he has turned his mind to as a coach.
Some might say he’s gone about his coaching ‘the right way’, coming through Melrose, London Scottish, the U20s, Scotland Sevens and Glasgow before getting the big shot with Scotland. He has, as they say in Scotland, ‘knocked his pan in.’ In return, players have responded to his style, and the line-out he has cultivated with Scotland took more ball than any other during the recent Six Nations.
Lions tours are long and tense, but pockmarked with travel and time milling about hotels. In scenarios like those you need assistant coaches who buy in, focus on their role, and can harmonise with their players. That is exactly the type of coach Dalziel has been in his climb to the top.
09:36 AM GMT
Select your Lions squad
09:34 AM GMT
2005’s Lions coaching team was... large
Clive Woodward, head coach
Bill Beaumont, tour manager
Eddie O’Sullivan, assistant coach
Ian McGeechan, assistant coach
Gareth Jenkins, assistant coach
Andy Robinson, assistant coach
Phil Larder, defensive coach
Mike Ford, defensive coach
Dave Alred, kicking coach
09:11 AM GMT
No Welsh coaches?
This could be the first time since 2001 with no Welsh representation on the coaching staff. Sure, Graham Henry was the Wales coach then, but he is of course from New Zealand and his assistants were all English: Andy Robinson, Phil Larder, Steve Black.
Gareth Jenkins went in 2005, Rob Howley and Neil Jenkins were there in 2009, 2013 and 2017, while 2021 had Jenkins, Robin McBryde and Steve Tandy.
Maybe Jenkins tours again which would be a phenomenal achievement, going on a fifth tour as a coach after two as a player in 1997 and 2001. But he seems the most likely and only candidate.
09:05 AM GMT
Warren Gatland selects his Lions team
Gatland coached the Lions rom 2013 to 2021 and is a Telegraph Sport columnist. His team is below, and you can read his reasoning and thoughts here.
08:51 AM GMT
What are the Lions fixtures?
Friday, June 20
vs Argentina (Aviva Stadium, Dublin)
Saturday, June 28
vs Western Force (Optus Stadium, Perth)
Tuesday, July 2
vs Queensland Reds (Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane)
Saturday, July 5
vs NSW Waratahs(Allianz Stadium, Sydney)
Wednesday, July 9
vs ACT Brumbies(Gio Stadium, Canberra)
Saturday, July 12
vs Australia & New Zealand Invitational (Adelaide Oval, Adelaide)
Saturday, July 19
vs Australia – First Test (Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane)
Tuesday, July 22
vs First Nations and Pasifika XV (Marvel Stadium, Melbourne)
Saturday, July 26
vs Australia – Second Test (MCG, Melbourne)
Saturday, August 2
vs Australia – Third Test (Accor Stadium, Sydney)
08:48 AM GMT
Can you guess who they are?
Stay tuned…
— British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) March 26, 2025
Our #Lions2025 coaches will be announced today 🦁 pic.twitter.com/ATO0DfrgWB
08:39 AM GMT
Good morning
Welcome to our live coverage for the announcement of the British & Irish Lions tour coaching squad. We are under three months away from the first warm-up game and now the preparations are ramping up, with the announcement of Andy Farrell’s backroom staff for the tour to Australia.
Some of the names we know, though they are yet to be officially confirmed. One of those is John Dalziel who will be the forwards coach. Daniel Schofield reports on that.
Dalziel has been Scotland’s forwards coach under Gregor Townsend since 2020, having performed the same role at Glasgow Warriors. Farrell will confirm his coaching team in London on Wednesday morning.
It is understood that Farrell turned to Dalziel after Paul O’Connell, the Ireland forwards coach, pulled out of the reckoning for this summer’s tour of Australia. While Dalziel lacks the profile of former Lions captain O’Connell, he is highly rated within coaching circles and Scotland won more line-out ball than any other country in the Six Nations this year.Dalziel hails from the Scottish rugby heartland of the Borders and represented London Scottish and Borders Reivers during the professional era. He started coaching 20 years ago at Melrose and has acted as head coach for Scotland Under-20s and the Scotland sevens team.
A few other names are thought to be likely, though the exact make-up of the coaching team and what roles they will be in are yet to be confirmed. Anyway, the confirmation of all of these will be announced in the next hour or so.
We will be there to let you know what they are along with updates and analysis from our team of rugby experts on the ground.
