So we know who will be in charge of the Lions next year…

The ‘race’ for the job of Lions coach was never exactly that hard to call and now, as expected, the job has been offered to Wales head honcho Warren Gatland.

Way back at the start of the Six Nations the powers that be let it be known that the decision over who would get the job of leading the British and Irish Lions to Australia in 2013 would be heavily influenced by how each candidate did in the tournament.

With Andy Robinson always a long shot, it was straight fight between our own Declan Kidney and former Irish coach Warren Gatland. Once Wales beat Ireland in the opening round, Gatland was in the box seat and after winning his second Grand Slam at the Welsh helm, the Kiwi was always the man to get the gig.

Now, according to the BBC, Gatland was offered the job last week and he is currently on holidays in New Zealand pondering the offer. We have to assume he will accept.

Gatland was assistant to Ian McGeechan in 2009 and he will now, in all likelihood, become the second non British and Irish head coach after Graham Henry in 2001, to lead the best of our boys into the southern hemisphere.

The only sticking point is the terms of the job. The Lions have requested that whoever gets the job is freed up for the 12 months before the 2013 tour starts. With Wales scheduled to tour Australia themselves this summer, it is understood that the Wales Rugby Union (WRU) want Gatland to stay in charge for that tour before taking a year out to run the Lions. But it sounds just like a minor issue that will be quickly sorted out.

If Gatland gets the nod than you would have to assume that the job of Lions captain, a preserve of Irish men in recent years, would probably fall to Wales captain, Sam Warburton, while he will try and bring his Welsh back-room team with him, including Shaun Edwards.

Now we can start guessing which players he will bring.