Lions turn to McGeechan for South Africa

LONDON, England -- Veteran Scot Ian McGeechan will be in charge when the British and Irish Lions tour South Africa next year.

McGeechan was unveiled as the Lions coach at a press conference in London.

The 61-year-old, who is director of rugby at Premiership club London Wasps, will be head coach of the fabled Lions for the fourth time.

He masterminded the famous victory over South Africa in 1997 and was the clear favorite to lead them against the current world champions.

McGeechan is closely associated with the Lions, touring in 1974 and 1977 as a player and 1987, 1993 and 1997 as head coach.

He was assistant to Clive Woodward on the ill-fated Lions tour of New Zealand in 2005 although his second-string team did achieve some excellent results.

Lions chairman Andy Irvine, a former Scotland international, said they kept coming back to McGeechan when deciding on the best person for the job.

"The 2005 tour was very disappointing as we lost the Test series 3-0 so it's vital we have the best leadership for to achieve success in South Africa," he told the Press Association.

"We wanted someone with a special bond with the Lions. We looked elsewhere as well but time and again we kept going back to Ian.

Wales coach Warren Gatland and former Springboks coach Jake White were other names mentioned in connection with the job, but McGeechan got the nod despite not currently being involved in the Six Nations.

McGeechan said he was delighted to have been picked: "The Lions have always been so important to me. The Lions are special and unique.

"You can't compare them to anything else you do as a player or coach," he added. "The fact it's against the world champions Springboks also makes it a massive challenge."