McGeechan still has a desire to be involved however, signalling his intention to help ensure the best possible preparation for the squad.

"I cannot have such an involvement again," McGeechan told the Daily Express. "Generally you coach the Lions only once and that makes it a great opportunity for coaches as well as players. But I've been head coach four times already, plus the other tours.

"If I were to go for an eighth time I think I would be pretty greedy. I'd like to have an involvement using my experience to try to make the preparation as good as it could possibly be so that the head coach, whoever that may be, has something to build on.

"But it won't be me. There is no way that I have become too important at all or that I am the only one who can make it work. In 2009 we had a management group of whom 50% or more could easily be involved in four years' time. They already know exactly what it takes to make a Lions tour."

The British & Irish Lions star had been suffering with a neck injury picked up during a league win over the Scarlets, but has been given the all clear to resume contact work this week.

"I've had a couple of scans on my neck and the spinal surgeon has thankfully given me the all-clear," Roberts told The Western Mail. "He advised me not to play this weekend [against Glasgow] but I will start contact work early this week and I hope to be fit for Harlequins."

A decision on his involvement will be made after scans, while his fellow internationals Bakkies Botha and Fourie du Preez look set to play some part this weekend after recovering from injuries.

John Connolly and Ewen McKenzie are currently heading the betting to succeed Phil Mooney, while Louden is set to sign a new deal with Japanese side Ricoh Black Rams.

Thompstone picked up the serious injury in the first-half of his side's Guinness Premiership win over Sale at Edgeley Park on Friday and will now be on the sidelines for four months.

Davies will be hopeful of recovering in time to face the Ospreys in their Heineken Cup opener on Sunday, with scrum-half Harry Ellis and centre Aaron Mauger also likely to return.

Props Wyatt Crockett and Owen Franks, lock Brad Thorn and blindside flanker Kieran Read will start for Canterbury in Christchurch, with flanker Richie McCaw and fly-half Dan Carter named on the replacements bench. Lock Isaac Ross is unavailable due to illness. It will be Franks' first game for Canterbury this season and the second for Thorn and McCaw.