British and Irish Lions 2017: Warren Gatland responds to Saracens' anger with timing of first tour meet-up

The 41-man squad met up in London for admin and kit delivery day, just five days before Saracens face Clermont Auvergne in the European Champions Cup final

Warren Gatland defended his decision to have the Lions squad meet up the week of the Champions Cup final (Getty)

Warren Gatland has claimed that he did not receive any requests to move the first get-together for the British and Irish Lions, despite Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall hitting out at the timing of ‘messy Monday’.

The aptly named days of admin and kit delivery saw all 41 players in Gatland’s squad to tour New Zealand meet up in London for what the Kiwi described as like “the first day at school”. However, it comes just five days before Saracens’ European Champions Cup final against Clermont Auvergne – and four days before the Challenge Cup that features Gloucester – which has led McCall to label the timing of the meeting as “unbelievable”.

McCall wanted the admin day moved, but Gatland defended the timing of it and also stressed that none of the four unions involved had shown any sign of unhappiness when they were given the date “months and months and months ago”.

"I've got to understand where they are coming from, having been involved in the situation, and I understand Mark's reasoning as well," Gatland said. "If it had been last week it would have potentially affected 22 clubs. I understand it's a massive week for them. But Mondays tend to be a recovery day.

"This date has been communicated months and months and months ago. Now I don't know when Saracens got the information.

"But we have told the unions about this date for a long, long time. So we haven't had any requests from anyone to move this date.

"But I understand the situation, and appreciate the fact that Saracens and Gloucester are releasing their players to us.

"If they hadn't been released to us that would have been very difficult for a number of reasons. So it does make a difference."

McCall’s criticism came after he saw his side suffer defeat in their final Premiership league match against table-toppers Wasps, which will see Sarries hit the road in the semi-finals to take on last year’s beaten finalists Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park. McCall rested a number of first-team regulars, but saw his preparations for this weekend’s European final in Edinburgh disturbed by having to release the six Saracens players that have been called up by Gatland in Owen Farrell, Jamie George, George Kruis, Maro Itoje and the Vunipola brothers, Mako and Billy.

"There is a Lions get-together on Monday which seems to be quite unbelievable that it is then given it is the most important week of the season,” McCall told the Sunday Telegraph.

"You'd have thought someone would have had the foresight to see that it might affect the club."

But Gatland did try to ease relations between himself and the clubs by thanking both Saracens and Gloucester – who will provide Greig Laidlaw to the tour as well as Ross Moriarty after the scrum-half was called up to replace Ben Youngs – for allowing their players to attend the day.

"We're very grateful to Saracens and Gloucester with big games this week for releasing players to us," said Gatland.

Gatland joined the 41-man squad in London (Getty)

"It does really make a big difference for us. It's exciting, but also a very important day for us.

"Every Lions squad goes through this organisation day. I've spoken to the most of the players, it's like the first day of school.

"Everyone's a little nervous, getting to know each other, players introducing themselves."