Warren Gatland has the strongest Lions squad ever assembled, claims Nick Easter
Thursday 11 May 2017 08:51, UK
Former England international Nick Easter believes Warren Gatland has the "strongest Lions squad that has ever been assembled" for the upcoming tour of New Zealand.
Gatland's squad travel to face the world champions in three Test matches later this summer, starting with the first Test at Eden Park in Auckland on June 24.
Live European Rugby Champions Cup
The Lions have not won in New Zealand since 1971 and suffered a humiliating 3-0 whitewash the last time they faced the All Blacks in 2003.
However, Easter expects this year's series to be a much tighter affair and has backed the Lions to cause an upset.
"This is the strongest Lions squad that has ever been assembled," he said.
"There's obviously the 70s teams but you look at how strong English rugby and Irish rugby [is] - Wales have still got some top quality players and they've got a coach there that understands what rugby is like in New Zealand.
"They're not going to be ambushed like in 2005. They're going to be fully prepared.
"It's going to be a pretty simple game plan - it has to be, but you've got the best players in the British Isles that are going to bring it together."
Easter's former England team-mate Charlie Hodgson also believes the Lions have a real chance of victory, especially if they win the first Test in Auckland.
"This squad is full of unbelievable players. In my opinion, it's the best squad of players that has been assembled for a long time," Hodgson said.
"I think if they can go 1-0 up at the start of that series then it will be interesting to see how New Zealand public and the press react to that and the pressure that the New Zealand players will have to experience themselves."
