IT SAYS everything about Warren Gatland’s rugby pedigree that his appointment as head coach of the 2013 British and Irish Lions was effectively a no-brainer.

The most coveted coaching job in northern hemsiphere rugby unquestionably became Gatland’s property once he masterminded Wales’ second RBS 6 Nations title and Grand Slam success of his five-year reign last March.

It was the continuation of a coaching career laden with silverware.

Having transformed Wasps from Premiership strugglers into three-time English champions and Heineken Cup winners, Gatland’s Wales appointment in late 2007 proved a prelude to Six Nations success and a 2011 World Cup semi-final place.

Not since 1987 had Wales reached the last four on the global stage and it should have been even better, given that they played most of their semi-final against France with 14 men after skipper Sam Warburton was sent off and still only lost by one point.

During his time with Wales, New Zealander Gatland has not only instilled a consistent winning mentality but also transformed training methods at state-of-the-art Welsh Rugby Union facilities in the Vale of Glamorgan.

But he is also the first to admit how unique and testing the Lions challenge is, especially given the short preparation time a packed domestic fixture calendar dictates.

There will, though, be a noexcuses environment – that is how Gatland operates – as he targets a Test series victory against Australia this summer that would be the Lions’ first over any opposition since the 1997 triumph in South Africa.

‘‘We are going down there to play rugby,’’ Gatland said, during the build-up to a first Lions tour in Australia since 2001.

‘‘We’re going to Australia to move the ball and to score points and tries. I can guarantee there is going to be some very positive play from the Lions while we are there.

‘‘The Lions is the envy of world rugby. It’s one of the old traditional touring teams.

‘‘To get a squad together, travel away for a number of weeks and play ten games is something that the southern hemisphere teams don’t get the opportunity to do any more.

‘‘It’s great for the game with the interest it creates, the money it generates, the touring fans and the atmosphere we’re going to get at the games.

‘‘It’s massively challenging for us, but it’s a concept that we need to protect. It’s hopefully going to be one hell of a tour.’’ Gatland’s 37-man squad will comprise 15 Welshman, ten English, nine Irish and three Scots, with its make-up providing no surprises whatsoever. Following Saturday’s routine win over Barbarians, the squad left for Perth for nine games in Australia.

‘‘The difficulty of a Lions tour is that you are bringing the players from four nations together with limited preparation, and you are playing away from home against one of the top three countries in the world,’’ he added.

‘‘If you picked a team from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa and brought them together for a few days and then went to the northern hemisphere, there is no guarantee that they would be better than the All Blacks, Springboks or Wallabies as individual teams.

‘‘We will guarantee everyone a start in the first three tour games. That will give players the chance to put themselves in the shop window before the Test series.

After that, we’re going to have to make some pretty tough decisions.

‘‘A lot of our game plan and structures and players getting to know calls is going to have to be done on tour.

‘‘It’s going to take us two or three weeks to do that, so I am not going to be too hung up on whether we drop a game or two on the way to the Test series.

‘‘It’s all about making sure we arrive at the first Test thoroughly prepared, having trained hard and having made sure we’re ready to go in Brisbane (on June 22).

‘‘At the end of the day, it’s not about the provincial games or the Super Rugby games, it’s about winning the Test series.

“That is the most important challenge for us.’’