British & Irish Lions news: Who are head coach Andy Farrell’s assistants?
Head coach Andy Farrell has named his assistants for the upcoming British & Irish Lions tour to Australia.
Ireland, England, and Scotland are represented on the coaching team, but Wales have been left out in yet another sign of the worrying malaise that has settled over Welsh rugby of late.
It is, by all accounts, set to be a varied backroom that tours Australia in a couple of months, with lots of different experiences and expertise at Farrell’s disposal.
Here, Sports News Blitz rugby writer Charlie Elliott takes a look at each assistant and gives a rundown of their career so far.
John Dalziel
Known primarily for his expertise in attacking play, Dalziel offers both tactical acumen and general leadership.
Prior to his current role as forwards coach at Scotland, he had a solid playing career, representing Border Reivers and London Scottish.
Dalziel’s coaching career then took off with his involvement in the Scottish Rugby system.
His subsequent work with the national team, from the U20s up to senior level, has undoubtedly improved Gregor Townsend’s forward pack.
A former head coach of the Scotland sevens set-up too, his varied experience could prove crucial for Farrell come the summer.
Speaking on his inclusion, Dalziel said: “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.”
READ MORE: British & Irish Lions news: Complete fixture list and opposition breakdown
Simon Easterby
One selection that has surprised a lot of fans is Easterby, the interim head coach of Ireland during the 2025 Six Nations while Farrell was on sabbatical preparing for the Lions tour.
Fans might have expected Easterby to stay on as Ireland interim for the summer, but he has been selected as one of the assistants for the series in an opportunity too big to pass on.
A forwards and defence coach for over ten years before getting the chance as interim boss, Easterby’s coaching experience drew on his playing career as a flanker and captain for Ireland and Scarlets.
In 2005, he was selected for the Lions tour to New Zealand and promptly scored a try in the second Test against the All Blacks.
Easterby will surely be disappointed to have let the Six Nations title slip this year, but he still did a good job as interim and will be a key asset to the coaching staff Down Under.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: British & Irish Lions news: Who are the coaches joining Andy Farrell?
John Fogarty
Another familiar face for Farrell will be Fogarty, who has been Ireland’s scrum coach since 2020.
The combination of Fogarty and Easterby has been instrumental in turning Ireland into one of the best forward packs in world rugby over the last few years, a trait that in turn led to back-to-back Six Nations titles in 2023 and 2024.
A former hooker at Munster, Connacht, and Leinster, Fogarty earned himself one Test cap for Ireland as well as a Heineken Cup winners’ medal with Leinster in 2009.
Andrew Goodman
Overseeing the backs is – unsurprisingly – another individual from Farrell’s Irish ranks.
Goodman has occupied a few different coaching positions at various levels since 2015, including a stint as assistant coach at the Crusaders in Super Rugby.
A New Zealander, he spent most of his playing career at Tasman, with a couple of trips to Japan sandwiching a spell at Leinster.
He has made it clear that he wants to keep the fun going both on and off the field for the Lions, a notion likely to be received quite positively by the players.
Speaking on the ethos he will bring to his selection, Goodman said: “The key is making sure everyone is connected and they have great craic off the field too.”
READ NEXT: British and Irish Lions news: A look at the last three tours to Australia
Richard Wigglesworth
Someone who always seemed destined to be a top coach is current England assistant Wigglesworth.
As a player, he was one of the most vocal on the pitch and showed an interest in coaching right from the start of his career.
He was hugely successful on the pitch, winning seven Premiership titles with Sale Sharks, Saracens, and Leicester Tigers, plus three Champions Cup titles with Saracens.
Since retiring in 2022, he has made steady progress in coaching, progressing from interim head coach at Tigers to Steve Borthwick’s attacking coach at England.
Farrell has cited Wigglesworth’s past experience as a player-coach in Canada as key to his selection for the tour Down Under: “I love the determination, the courage, the ambition that he had from being a player-coach to having the balls to take on a head coach job when he had no clue what that entailed.”
MORE FROM CHARLIE ELLIOT: British & Irish Lions news: A guide to the history and cultural significance of the Lions
