Sir Clive Woodward said, “It’s great news that Scott Johnson is going to be in New Zealand with a watching brief for the WRU. I saw him close up when I was with Wales during the RBS Six Nations. He is a terrific coach and he is also someone who understands the game in the southern hemisphere.”
Scott Johnson said: “It will be great to witness ‘our boys’ working within a different environment other than our own. To see them grow and develop under a different set of people will be of great benefit to myself and the Welsh players and management and I am honoured to have been asked to go.
“The tour is the culmination of all that is good about rugby in the home nations and being able to share opinions and points of view with people from different approaches and backgrounds can only be of huge benefit, not only to myself but ultimately it will also help the development of Welsh rugby. If there’s anything I can give to the tour management team by way of knowledge of southern hemisphere rugby and of the New Zealand coaches, I will, of course be forthcoming!”
Mike Ruddock is unable to travel to New Zealand as he is determined to watch the Wales U21 side during their IRB U21 World Championship campaign in Argentina (June 9th-25th 2005). He is also committed to some study in order to complete the final module in his Level 4 coaching course.
Ruddock said: “We would like to thank Clive Woodward and the Lions for the fantastic opportunity of being able to take up an observational role with the Lions in New Zealand. We certainly would not want to turn down that offer and while I cannot make it, there is no better man that Scott to represent Welsh rugby in that way.
“It is important for me and the future of the Wales team that I travel to Argentina to see the U21 players who could be vying for places in the national side by the time we get to the next Rugby World Cup in 2007. We have a massive season ahead with four Autumn Internationals, the defence of our RBS Six Nations title and a tour to Argentina.
“It is important to me and for the coaching structure in place in Wales that I complete my Level 4 coaching course and my final module – on management – is still outstanding. I feel if I don’t finish it this summer, I never will!”
