Warren Gatland is set for Lions appointment

Warren Gatland has coached Ireland as well as Wales and is set to be named as forwards coach for the Lions.

Shaun Edwards and Robert Howley are also expected to travel to South Africa next summer.

Fitness coach Craig White and analyst Rhys Long may also join them.

Kiwi Gatland, who guided Wales to Grand Slam glory in last year's Six Nations, was Ireland head coach between 1998 and 2001, where he worked with White.

Wasps director of rugby McGeechan had two spells coaching Scotland and works at Wasps with head coach Edwards. Welshman Howley toured South Africa as a Lions player in 1997.

In addition, all five have worked with McGeechan, who has been a Lions coach on four previous tours.

Talks had been taking place behind the scenes between the WRU and the Lions committee over the past few months, with Gatland and his assistants hot property after Wales' Grand Slam success.

With Gatland, Edwards and Howley away on Lions duty, Robin McBryde is a leading candidate to take charge of Wales in North America.

After the failure of Clive Woodward's bloated Lions outfit, who were whitewashed by New Zealand in 2005, a considerably smaller back-up team is expected to tour this time round.

However, South Africa's World Cup-winning coach Jake White recently confirmed he had spoken to McGeechan about working as a consultant on the trip.