British & Irish Lions forward Iain Henderson has claimed head coach Warren Gatland selected on reputation over form and has criticised the team’s tactics.

Speaking to BBC Sport NI’s ‘Ulster Rugby Show’, the Ulster and Ireland second-row or flanker lifted the lid on the Lions’ 2-1 series loss in South Africa.

The Lions went 1-0 up in a dismal series but lost the next two Tests with Gatland subsequently slammed for using a limited game plan against the Springboks.

It was only with the injured-enforced arrival of Finn Russell 10 minutes into the decider that South Africa were stretched and even though the pivotal game was conceded 19-16, it offered a glimpse of what might have been.

Lack of imagination

Henderson, who captained Ireland in the Six Nations in the absence of Johnny Sexton, is the second member of Gatland’s touring party to publicly denounce the lack of imagination that worked against their provincial opponents but played into into the Springboks’ hands.

“You could play South Africa’s game-plan against the Sharks or someone like that and whenever you get however many points up, you’re winning the 50-50s, the slap-downs become a 50 metre-try and all of a sudden people go ‘well they’re playing free-flowing rugby today’,” Henderson said.

“Before you know it, you’re trying to beat South Africa at their own game. South Africa just won a World Cup doing their own game. They’re incredible at it.

“Falling into what they’re incredibly good at I think is something a team probably shouldn’t try to do playing a team like that.”

It was Henderson’s second Lions tour but despite his imposing form during the Six Nations and predictions he would be involved in the series, he was overlooked in favour of rival back five forward Courtney Lawes.

Lawes was outstanding but he missed three of months of last season with a pectoral injury, making his comeback in the latter stages of the Premiership.

When asked if Gatland was a “guy who had his guys”, Henderson said: “I would tend to agree with that statement.

“A bit of evidence of that would be Courtney Lawes, for example. Hadn’t played a lot of rugby, was injured going in, missed a lot of rugby, comes in as bit of a surprise maybe and starts all three Tests.

“Don’t get me wrong, Courtney is a class player and he probably deserved to be playing, but that would lead you to believe that he [Gatland] wasn’t picking on who was on form at that stage, because Courtney had already banked his form from before.

“He told me I had trained really well, played really well and unfortunately it just didn’t work out the way I wanted it to be.

“I wouldn’t be one to go nagging coaches. In my opinion, I go about my business and do what I can on the training pitch.

“I kind of feel among a lot of the staff and squad they felt similarly, but at the end of the day it’s the top dog’s decision and I wasn’t there.”

Meanwhile, World Rugby and International Rugby Players (IRP) have published new contact training load guidance following a global study on almost 600 players across 18 elite men’s and women’s tournaments.

The recommendations are aimed at reducing injury risk and supporting short and long-term player welfare and suggest a maximum of 15 minutes full contact training per week – over a two-day period – while there should be zero full contact training on Mondays and Fridays to allow for recovery and preparation.

It has also been suggested that controlled contact training sessions be limited to 40 minutes per week with at least one day of zero contact of any type while live set-piece training will be limited to 30 minutes per week.