• Gatland was forwards coach on 2009 to South Africa
• Man-management skills have been praised by players
Warren Gatland is understood to be the preferred candidate of the British and Irish Lions committee, who will name their head coach for the 2013 tour of Australia towards the end of next month.
Gatland is taking Wales on a three-Test tour to Australia this summer, which would allow him to make advance preparation before the Lions trip, and he would then take a sabbatical from the end of July for a year to allow him to focus on the Lions.
And on Monday Gatland's candidacy was endorsed by a player who featured in all six Tests on the previous two Lions tours, Gethin Jenkins. The Wales prop, who led his side to victory over Italy last weekend to set up a grand slam encounter with France in Cardiff on Saturday, hailed the man-management of Gatland, whose first international job was in charge of Ireland.
"Warren gives players the confidence to go out and perform," Jenkins said. "He is a very good man-manager and there are few players he does not get on with. He does not hide from things: if something needs to be said, he will spit it out and everyone knows that. It would be great if he got the Lions post. He did an excellent job on the last tour [in 2009 to South Africa when he was in charge of the forwards] and he certainly has the credentials. It was a pretty old-school tour three years ago: we had some enjoyment, but at the same time it was serious."
Gatland, who is attempting to become the first coach of a home union to win two grand slams in the Six Nations, eased off in training in the week of the final game against France in 2008, but he is pushing his players hard this time. He has delayed naming the side until Thursday to allow the competition for places that has been developed in the past year to provide an edge.
"Gatland told the players immediately after the Italy game on Saturday that this was going to be a tough week," said the Wales forwards coach, Robin McBryde. "We have underperformed in the last couple of matches and we cannot afford to step back. Training will be geared to ensuring we finish the campaign strongly against a team who will be determined to prove people wrong." Gatland and his management team took the squad out for a meal in a French restaurant in Cardiff Bay on Monday night, a departure from the normal routine. It is important that everyone feels significant," McBryde said. "They all have a role to play and that is key to the success we hope we will have on Saturday."
The Wales captain, Sam Warburton, who missed the victory over Italy with a leg injury, will be assessed on Tuesday after a fitness test. "Things are looking favourable," McBryde said, "but if he does not make it, it will not be panic stations after the way Justin Tipuric performed at the weekend."