Warren Gatland responds aptly to Sky Sports push for James Haskell Lions call

You can't blame Sky Sports for pushing 'Hask' to go on tour with the lions. He'd make great TV...

Credit: @EnglandRugby The Wasps and England flanker has enjoyed an upturn in fortunes in recent years and was part of a Test side that swept all before them in an 18-match winning run. Despite never making a British & Irish Lions squad before, and being 32 in an increasingly young man's game, Haskell was in with a great shout of making Warren Gatland's squad to tour New Zealand. A little over two weeks ago, he missed out. Haskell has taken his omission well and spoke well of two Lions - Peter O'Mahony and Ross Moriarty - who edged him out. https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/859721972292476928 With Haskell in the news, on Wednesday, Sky Sports' Gail Davis asked Gatland if Haskell still had a chance of making the Lions Tour as a reserve. The Kiwi responded diplomatically. Extremely so. "Oh I think everyone does [have a chance]," he began.

"You cross your fingers and if you're a player who has missed out and you know you were pretty close, your chances if someone gets an injury in the next month or early on in the tour... I'm sure you're disappointed now but something could happen or change." He added, "You've got to be prepared for that or ready for a potential call-up."

With England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales all on summer tours, men like Haskell, Joe Launchbury, Garry Ringrose and Simon Zebo - who were all close calls - will be heeding those words.