Rory Underwood, who toured twice with the Lions, has backed Ian McGeechan to lead them to glory © Getty Images

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Former England winger Rory Underwood believes that Wasps coach Ian McGeechan is the perfect man to lead a renaissance for the British and Irish Lions this summer.

Following the crushing failure of Clive Woodward's tour in 2005, where a bloated 50-man squad was whitewashed 3-0 by New Zealand, McGeechan and tour manager Gerald Davies have promised a return to the traditional values of a Lions tour when they travel to face the World Champion Springboks in a three Test series.

Underwood, who won 85 caps for England and notched a record 49 tries, toured with the Lions in Australia in 1989 and in New Zealand in 1993, with both tours conducted under the watchful gaze of McGeechan. He is sure that the Lions have got their man and also that his coaching staff, including Wales head coach Warren Gatland and defence coach Shaun Edwards, have what it takes to get the Lions roaring on the Highveld.

"There are no doubts that Geech very much is the man," said Underwood. "We know what sort of man he is and what sort of rugby brain he has. He totally endorses and enthuses about the whole Lions concept. Despite the disappointing manner in which Wales finished I think in Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards they've got some great people there to coach the best out of the team."

Underwood, whose brother Tony also won a Lions Test cap under McGeechan in South Africa in 1997, is one of a select number of tourists to complete a winning Test series, in Australia in 1989. Victory in 1989 was the first for the Lions since the "Invincibles" toured South Africa in 1974. Underwood believes that certain factors have to be right in order for a touring side to click.

"It needs a bit of luck in the context of injuries and for a lot of the players to come in to form on tour," he said. "You want to get the units working together, the lineout, the front-row, the centres and the final XV selection has got to be right."

Underwood cites his Lions stints as some of the highlights of his career, especially his winning try against New Zealand in the second Test at Wellington in 1993.

"It's a great accolade to play for your country but if you can be picked to play out of the best of four countries, on a tour when you have to go and prove yourself against the best in the world, it's a fantastic accolade," he said. "The try was one of my highlights as a player. As we were walking back the New Zealand supporters were throwing bottles and cans and all sorts, so to see Brian Moore [Lions hooker] pick up a full can, open it and toast the crowd was a sight to behold."

England look set to have their lowest representation on a Lions tour for many years, but despite this fact Underwood has been pleased with their recent up-turn in form under Martin Johnson. Their Six Nations culminated in wins over France and Scotland in their final games.

"I'm really pleased that we finished on a high," he said. "I've been very pleased with their progress. Obviously the highlight was the first half against France and in some ways it was a shame that everyone was disappointed with the Scotland win after what was against France. To be honest, overall I'm very, very pleased. All the things are starting to come into shape with what Johnno is trying to do. With a good Argentina tour under their belt and the autumn internationals they can really think about challenging in the Six Nations next year."

Rory Underwood has just launched 'Wingman', a Performance Consultancy specialising in improving performance in people and teams within the business environment. Underwood is also training for the Mazda London Triathlon taking place at London's ExCeL in August 2009. Charity places are still available, find out more at www.thelondontriathlon.com