The British and Irish Lions must be allowed adequate preparation time if they are to build on the success of their 2-1 series win over Australia when they travel to face New Zealand in 2017, coach Warren Gatland said yesterday.

The dust had barely settled on the tourists’ first series triumph in 16 years, sealed with Saturday’s crushing 41-16 victory over the Wallabies in Sydney, when thoughts turned to the next tour against the All Blacks in four years’ time.

The Lions have only won one series in New Zealand, back in 1971, and Gatland said his experience over the last two months proved to him that there must be changes to the scheduling if they are to have a chance of another victory there.

“I think it’s important that the Lions and the home unions get together in terms of adequate preparation time,” he told reporters in Sydney.

“The season needs to be adjusted a little bit so we can spend a couple of weeks in the UK and Ireland preparing properly.

“There needs to be some negotiations with the southern hemisphere to push things back a bit in terms of lead-up games.

“To be successful, you want to have the best possible opportunity, in New Zealand in four years time poses a different challenge to Australia.

“I’m not saying it’s harder, it’s different from a logistical point of view.

“They’ve got make sure they’ve got the proper processes in place to give the Lions the best opportunity to be successful.”

Gatland did not dismiss out of hand the suggestion that he might return as Lions coach for that tour.

He said: “It’s something that potentially I’d look at.”