"I always think with teams I've been involved in that a happy camp, more often than not, is going to be a successful camp".
"The three (hookers) we've come to we believe give us the right mix that we need of strengths from Jamie's set piece and his running game, Ken Owens form in the Six Nations was tremendous, Rory Best's competitiveness and his leadership and work and set-piece".
He added on Twitter: "Scotland beat Ireland and Wales in 6N yet we get 2 and they get 23 players!"
Stuart Hogg says his previous experiences with the Lions tour has made him a better player, and says he will do everything he can to win a starting jersey this time round.
Lions tour manager John Spencer will announce the squad, being joined by Gatland, his coaching staff and captain, who is expected to be Wales flanker Sam Warburton, at a hotel on the edge of the 200-acre Syon House Estate in west London.
"And we are not playing at home".
Head coach Gatland's group for New Zealand this summer will be revealed in London at midday and while players like England quartet Ben Te'o, Elliot Daly, Joe Marler and Maro Itoje should become first-time Lions, high-profile casualties seem guaranteed. Whether or not this has directly contributed to a paltry return of Stuart Hogg and Tommy Seymour being named, it's unlikely the Head Coach will divulge; he has certainly been afforded vindication for picking less Scots because of it though.
The squad is made up of 16 England players, 12 from Wales, 11 from Ireland and two from Scotland.
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His party was nearly wiped out in the 2015 general election after colluding with the Tories for five years in a coalition government.
Warburton, who was Gatland's captain for Wales from 2011-16, found out he was being retained in the role when he got a phone call from Gatland as he sat in his auto at a supermarket waiting for his girlfriend to return with the shopping.
"Because now I do feel I am playing well and I feel very confident about my game, that's why I said yes". Sam Warburton will captain the side, while there were surprise inclusions for the likes of Jonathan Joseph and Jared Payne.
"The fact that the ball gets out wide makes us look good".
Hartley was not the only notable England omission, with in-form lock Joe Launchbury also missing out.
Gatland's squad will be aiming to become just the second Lions party to win a Test series in New Zealand, with the combined side's lone series success against the All Blacks coming in 1971 - when tour manager John Spencer, the former England global, was in the squad.
"This is probably the hardest selection we have had, we think it is a strong squad so as a coaching team we are really excited about the talent and quality of team we are taking to New Zealand".
"There's competition for places and there will be players fighting for Test spots with no clear number one, number two or number three in certain positions".
The Lions leave for New Zealand on 29 May and will play three tests against the All Blacks as well as seven provincial matches. 2013 (winning tour) was awesome, it was all fresh, it was all new.
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