Could Andy Irvine, Ian McGeechan and Gerald Davies be about to reunite for the Lions tour to Australia in 2013? © Getty Images

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Players/Officials: Gerald Davies | Andy Irvine | Ian McGeechan

Teams: England | Ireland | Scotland | Wales

The British & Irish Lions have launched their quest to find the right man to lead the elite tourists to Australia in 2013 but they may not have to look too hard - legendary coach Ian McGeechan is looming as a prime candidate.

Preparations for the trip Down Under have stepped up a gear with the appointment of Andy Irvine as tour manager and the former Scotland and Lions international immediately set his sights on putting a coaching team in place that could secure the first series over the Wallabies since 1989.

McGeechan served as head coach on that famous tour and most recently steered the Lions to a narrow 2-1 Test defeat against South Africa in 2009 - his seventh tour as player and coach. The 63-year-old has attempted to draw a line under his Lions career but Irvine insists his credentials make him impossible to ignore prior to their next challenge.

"McGeechan said after South Africa that he wouldn't be interested in coaching, but he said that after three other tours as well," he said. "Geech is back in the fold at Bath. He doesn't quite have a tracksuit on every day but he's still very much in touch with the game.

"We've very much got an open mind on Geech - his record speaks for itself, he's Lions through to the core and did a fantastic job on the last tour. He has to be a consideration. If he rules himself out I wouldn't want to put any pressure on him. Whoever coaches the Lions has to want to do it, but if Ian throws his hat into the ring we'd seriously have to look at it. The last tour got an awful lot of things right and that should be the template for the way forward."

McGeechan, currently performance director at Premiership side Bath, has since responded to those overtures by hinting that he may be ready to rekindle his love affair with the Lions. "Your enthusiasm for the Lions doesn't change," he told the Daily Telegraph. "I've yet to speak to Andy about any of this. I need to have those sort of conversations. I know what I said at the time but here we are, talking about it, and it all starts to look exciting again."

If McGeechan resists the lure of another tour it would be expected that the coach would come from one of the Home Nations. Irvine insists thought such a move is not as straightforward as it would appear due to a potential conflict of interests.

"I do not think it would be feasible for the head coach to run a national side in the Six Nations prior to the tour because it would be asking too much of them," said Irvine, in what could seen as a blow to Wales coach Warren Gatland, who has recently re-signed with the Welsh Rugby Union until 2015.

"And I think that the national sides would baulk at that idea anyway because their coach's eye may be taken off the ball. I'm not ruling it out entirely but I think it is unlikely. But remember it is not just my say so, we have a committee and we all work closely together and respect each other."

Gatland, along with Scotland coach Andy Robinson, have been touted as possible coaches and both boast the kind of Lions pedigree that Irvine believes is of paramount importance. "We make no bones about it, our strong preference would be to appoint someone who has a strong link and connection with the Lions as a player or in a past coaching role. We would consider coaches from overseas but they would be starting five yards behind the start line.

"I think it would be fair to say that there are one or two frontrunners, I'm not going to mention them now but I don't think it is rocket science. You all have your favourites but the big problem we have is the availability as it is a serious commitment.

"In the past the Lions coaches tended to be selected as the most successful and the best of the four Home Nations' coaches but in the days of professional rugby these chaps are not always available because they are highly paid positions and their No.1 priority is to bring success to the national side so you do need the co-operation of the national governing bodies to see if they are available."

Gatland's contract would appear to be a stumbling block to his possible appointment but Irvine hinted that a temporary release clause - as that agreed between the Lions, McGeechan and his employers London Wasps ahead of the last tour - could be an option. "If we weren't looking for a complete release of Warren by the WRU, then we'd certainly want a partial release," he said.

The Lions do not anticipate making an appointment before next year's Rugby World Cup with the fortunes of the Home Nations at that tournament sure to reflect on their respective coaches. But they are determined to have their man at least a year before the side departs for Australia and "preferably 18 and possibly 21 months" before that date.

However, Irvine noted that the landscape could change radically over the next 12-18 months. "Last time Eddie O'Sullivan was a front runner at this point in the cycle but Ireland had such a disappointing World Cup and Six Nations that he lost his job with Ireland," he said.

There will be nine fixtures on the 2013 tour, starting with a curtain-raiser against the Barbarians in Hong Kong, and the Lions expect to face at least four of the five Australian Super 15 sides.