"This is the elite of the elite, I can't wait to get stuck in'

Lions recognition as a player escaped Richard Wigglesworth, which is why being part of the coaching team in Australia this summer will be extra special, he tells Harry Latham-Coyle

- Harry Latham-Coyle

Long and distinguished his playing career may have been, Richard Wigglesworth freely admits that he never expected the British and Irish Lions call to come during his 20 years at the elite level.

Unable to fully break up the Ben Youngs and Danny Care English scrum-half duopoly, and with competition rich at the position in the other constituent unions, Wigglesworth was never quite perfectly poised to pounce for a place on the five tours encompassed within his career despite his 33 international caps and tally of seven Premiership titles.

So it was with immense pride that the 41-year-old answered the summons from Andy Farrell last week asking him to join his former Saracens and England coach on the trip to Australia. Back on dad duties after weeks away from home working during the Six Nations, Wigglesworth was larking about in his back garden with his five-year-old daughter when the phone rang – and having successfully fended off her attention for long enough to take the call, there was no hesitation in accepting Farrell’s offer.

“Different tours happen when you’re playing well but I never expected a call,” Wigglesworth reflected of his Lions hopes as a player. “As with every player, that’s the dream. It never materialised but it’s like that for most players. That’s why this is the pinnacle and the elite of the elite. I bit [Farrell’s] hand off before he needed to do any convincing. I love a challenge and they don’t get any better than this one. I can’t wait to get stuck in.”