It may be two seasons away, but attention is already turning to the upcoming Lions tour in 2017. For the majority of onlookers, the opening weekend of this year's Six Nations provides a glimpse into the two main coaching candidates for the gig.

Joe Schmidt, off the back of back-to-back Six Nations titles is considered the biggest challenger to Warren Gatland to be the head coach - and the wisdom seems to be that the winner this year will have the best chance to lead the Lions in Schmidt and Gatland's home country.

Apparently though, Joe Schmidt isn't eligible to coach the Lions in 2017. Not according to his current IRFU contract. Schmidt signed a one-year extension just before the World Cup, which ties him to the IRFU until 2017 - just when the Lions are about to embark on the tour. We do know that the Lions will require the head coach take a year to prepare for the tour, which would mean that Schmidt's one year extension would become moot.

Ireland boss Joe Schmidt says he wouldn't be able to do the Lions coaching job under the terms of his contract. — Simon Thomas (@simonrug) January 27, 2016

Should Schmidt want to coach the Lions it would mean that he'd need to be completely released from his contract - which seems unlikely - or he'd have to sign a new extension which would include a clause that would give him the option.


Until that happens, it appears full steam ahead for Warren Gatland to take control once more.

Picture credit: Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE