Andy Farrell ponders key Lions decisions and Henry Pollock ups ante as first Test nears
and his
Lions
coaching staff spent much of Sunday analysing their side's 48-0 win over an Invitational XV in the charming Adelaide Oval while returning to the warmer Brisbane weather in readiness for Saturday's first Test against the
Wallabies
. They have much to ponder but from a position of relative strength after a fifth win in a whirlwind 15-day trek around Australia.
On arrival, the squad welcomed the latest late call-up,
Jamie Osborne
, and with English hooker Jamie George in transit for his third tour, the Lions also announced that
Thomas Clarkson
has been called up as tighthead cover. Two years out from the World Cup in Australia, this swells the Irish contingent in the playing squad to 18, of whom 14 are from Leinster.
Clarkson's call-up strongly suggests
Tadhg Furlong
and Will Stuart will be preserved from the final midweek game on the Tuesday of the second Test against a First Nations and Pasifika XV in Melbourne. This in turn means Clarkson, and perhaps also Osborne, will feature in that game.
Farrell has made no secret of his relief in having a week based in one city without a midweek game in which to draw breath and take stock.
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'We have got a normal week as we have all been craving,' he said on Saturday night. 'We train Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and we'll get to a performance day on Wednesday and everyone will know where they are at.'
Both Farrell and his Wallabies counterpart
Joe Schmidt
will unveil their first Test teams on Thursday. On the back of a less than commanding 36-24 win over the Brumbies last Wednesday, by what appeared to be a shadow Test side, Saturday's 48-0 win over an AU/NZ Invitational XV has revived debate about some positions.
The misfortune that has ruled out
Garry Ringrose
and Blair Kinghorn due to the delayed concussion and knee injuries they suffered in Canberra last Wednesday, coupled with the assured performances of Huw Jones and
Hugo Keenan
in Adelaide, look to have resolved the starting outside centre and fullback slots in the first Test.
But 14, 12, one, six and seven all remain open to serious debate.
Mack Hansen enhanced his claims for a starting spot against Australia with his performance for the British and Irish Lions last Saturday. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho
Tommy Freeman brings some run of prolific form – 21 tries in 29 games for Northampton, England and the Lions – but
Mack Hansen's
latest demonstration of all-round skill, high work-rate and playmaking last Saturday was the kind of roving wing play Farrell loves.
With Finn Russell to start alongside
Jamison Gibson-Park
at halfback, and the in-form Jones seemingly cast in stone at outside centre for the first Test pending Ringrose's return to the mix, there will be a case for a making it a 10-12-13 all-Scottish axis by naming Sione Tuipuloto at inside centre.
However, Farrell has been painstakingly and systematically juggling his resources; witness five different midfield partnerships in the first five games, one of which,
Bundee Aki
and Jones, performed well in the 52-12 win over the Reds.
Farrell also strongly reiterated that the Test midfield will not necessarily be chosen on the basis of national pairs.
'We look at what's right for the team,' he said. 'Two or three weeks ago, that went completely out of the window. I can't remember looking at a sheet over the last few weeks and thinking 'that combination has to happen because of the country that it's from'. That doesn't exist in this group.'
It could well be, therefore, that as with the halfbacks, the midfield will have an Irish-Scottish blend, while despite Duhan van der Merwe's hat-trick in Adelaide,
James Lowe
looks more likely to start against the Wallabies next Saturday on the left wing.
Which brings us to the pack.
Andrew Porter
has only made one start to date and has had, by his standards, a relatively light load – he was left on the bench for 80 minutes in Adelaide as Pierre Schoeman went the distance.
Dan Sheehan cannot play against Australia on Saturday but Andrew Porter has a strong chance of featuring. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho
This suggests Porter will be in the matchday 23, although Ellis Genge packed packed down with
Dan Sheehan
and Furlong, the likely starters at hooker and tighthead, in the previous two games, so that is open to speculation.
Joe McCarthy
still looks most likely to partner the captain
Maro Itoje
in the secondrow, but even on the premise that
Jack Conan
is chosen to continue where he left off in South Africa, there are any number of potential combinations at six and seven.
Tom Curry,
Tadhg Beirne
, Curry again, Beirne again (after Henry Pollock was forced to withdraw), Ollie Chessum and last Saturday, Pollock, have worn the six jersey, as Farrell and co have oscillated between a hybrid lock and more of an out-and-out flanker.
Meanwhile, Jac Morgan and Josh van der Flier alternated at seven over the first four games, before Curry started there against the Brumbies and then Morgan made his third start last Saturday.
The removal of both Beirne and Ben Earl for the final quarter against the Invitational XV strongly indicates that they will be in the match-day 23 for the first Test anyway, perhaps along with Pollock in a stacked bench.
In his inimitably irreverent way, the squad's youngest player has helped to crank up the ante as well. After Saturday's win, Pollock was asked whether a 3-0 series win was the target, and he didn't hesitate when replying.
'We want to come here and be the best Lions team ever. We've been talking about that loads and yeah, 3-0 is definitely on the table, hopefully.'
That should go down well hereabouts.
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The Journal
38 minutes ago
- The Journal
Andy Farrell's Squid Game and Jamie 'Showbiz' Osborne
Murray Kinsella Reports from Sydney AS THE LIONS returned to the training pitch today for the first time since their series-clinching second Test win in Melbourne, they were greeted by interesting sights and sounds. Andy Farrell sent assistant coach John Fogarty and a few other Lions staff ahead to set things up at the impressive Shore School, which overlooks the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Keen to create energy from the moment they set foot back on the pitch ahead of their shot at making it a 3-0 series whitewash against the Wallabies, Farrell had organised his own version of Squid Game. For anyone who hasn't seen the South Korean show on Netflix, it's a dystopian thriller in which hundreds of players who are desperate for money play a series of kids' games that have literally been turned into life-or-death scenarios. The last person standing wins. 'The whole field was covered in equipment,' explained Lions assistant coach Andrew Goodman today. 'The staff were dressed up in all that kit, the speakers were all set up, a bit of fun, stuff like that to get a bit of energy back in the group. 'We had a 'green light, red light,' the whole field was covered in different things they could hide behind, and they had people in the top tier keeping an eye on people. It was good craic.' Ireland and Leinster prop Thomas Clarkson was the unfortunate one to be killed off first, although Goodman didn't reveal the quick-witted winner. It's an example of how Farrell – who the Lions players call 'Big Faz,' while Owen Farrell is 'Little Faz' – is constantly looking to create good energy in his teams. 'He's always about having fun as a group,' said Goodman. 'The mini-team stuff, the little challenges he'll have at the start of meetings, there's always a bit of craic, a bit of a laugh involved. 'It keeps the boys engaged and fresh and it's not just going into a meeting where it's rugby all the time. There are little bits like that that make it enjoyable as well.' Lions assistant coach Andrew Goodman. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO Farrell is also a demanding and serious rugby coach. He has occasionally stung his Ireland players into responding to underperformances with savage reviews that question their work rate and application. And Lions captain Maro Itoje has been surprised at just how detailed Farrell's coaching is. 'Not that I thought he wasn't going to be, but he is very particular on detail and thoughtful on how the week flows which is very good from a player's point of view,' said Itoje. 'I've enjoyed the experience.' And then there is Farrell's well-known ability to deliver the right words at the right time. Ireland's players know exactly how good Farrell can be at choosing the ideal message to inspire them, something the rest of the Lions have enjoyed in recent weeks. 'He's a brilliant orator, he holds the room and is a great motivator of men,' said Itoje. Advertisement 'He's quite thoughtful.' Goodman says that the key to Farrell is his relentlessness. He's not on a couple of days a week, but every single day. It has been clear throughout this tour just how much the players have been enjoying themselves. Even though they haven't been able to do a huge amount outside of rugby, Farrell has built an atmosphere in which the players have become close. In one of his early meetings, he prompted a few players to tell the group why they admired a team-mate from another country, someone they didn't fully know yet. It put people under pressure in that moment, but set a tone for how he wanted people to connect. 'I have built relationships with people I really didn't know well,' said Itoje. 'Someone like 'Showbiz', Jamie Osborne… his nickname is 'Showbiz.' I never thought I would have a relationship with him. 'I wouldn't mind the nickname Showbiz if you're going to start it, but I'm happy with Pearl, to be honest. I know now whenever I play against him in the future, I can call him Showbiz and he will have that little smirk on his face.' Andy Farrell with his family in Melbourne. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO Itoje mentioned Jac Morgan, as well as the 'absolutely hilarious' and 'very endearing person' Finlay Bealham as other examples. Farrell has had lots of players on the ground in Australia, as many as 45 at one stage, but seems to have kept everyone happy and working for the betterment of the team. He has also had a big coaching staff, with six assistants working alongside him. Farrell himself is renowned as an excellent attack coach, Goodman's speciality is in that area, Richard Wigglesworth works on England's attack, and Johnny Sexton is an attack master too. But they have all worked seamlessly together, according to Goodman. 'We all muck in,' said Goodman. 'We ask questions of each other and have areas we're in charge of. 'Wiggy's doing a lot of the kicking game and counter side of things, myself on the set-piece attack into phase. 'Jonny has an eye that asks a lot of questions and is spending a lot of time with the nines and 10s. 'And Faz is over everything: effort, work, detail, driving us as coaches. He's got a great eye for attack and defence, he'll always be driving the messages.' And like the players, Goodman says this tour has been hugely beneficial for the assistant coaches. He and others know Farrell very well from the Ireland set-up, but the value of being on such a big tour in Australia is huge. 'I've really enjoyed working with different people like Wiggy and John [Dalziel, the forwards coach]. It's been great to get different views on how things work, be open to different ways and different languages, and little activities to use, etc. 'When we first got in as a group, Faz drove that really hard. He said we have to information-share, we have to be open books. That's how we get the best out of each other.' One other strength of Farrell's is that he is always all about winning. So while they might have enjoyed their Squid Game, this final Test is serious business for the Lions. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
'Impressive young man' Tadhg Furlong takes his place in Lions pantheon
Across three British and Irish Lions tours in three different countries, Tadhg Furlong has seen it all through three different perspectives. In New Zealand in 2017 he was 24 and the next big thing. Four years ago in South Africa he was 28 and in his prime. Now, aged 32 in Australia, he's one of the old heads in the group. This could be his last stand on tour. "You go on that first one and you take it all in," Furlong says, as he prepares for his ninth start from a possible nine Lions Tests. "The second one is kind of like, you want to perform, and the third one you just want to appreciate it all because you don't want it to pass you by." As a three-time tourist, and set to start his ninth consecutive Test across that period, he's firmly established himself among the list of British and Irish Lions greats. Only eight people have played more Tests for the Lions in its 137-year history, and only one of those – Alun-Wyn Jones - has done so in the professional era. Willie John McBride, Mike Gibson and Tony O'Reilly are the only Irish players to have ever won more Lions Test caps. Joining that list of Lions elite was far from Furlong's mind throughout this season, one in which persistent calf and achilles injuries limited him to just seven games for Leinster across the campaign, and just one for Ireland. As he struggled to shake off those injuries, just making it on tour was the big goal. "You want it so badly. I think the cruel thing is when you go on one [Lions tour], you just want to go on more," he said. "There was a stage this season where we were having conversations with medical staff. It's like, 'what is going on here? We need to nip this stuff in the bud'. "Lions Tours are some of the best days of your career and I'm delighted to be able to go again. "I just wanted to try to get on tour and play rugby and see where it got me, but it's class, yeah. To be up there [with nine Test caps]. "I remember I got selected [in 2017], or people were speculating when I was going on the first Lions Tour. "I was young, and you think of Lions, and you think of the players and you don't see yourself there to be mentioned in the same breath as them and I probably feel the same way now." He was still relatively inexperienced when he made his Lions debut back in 2017 (above). Just two years on from his Ireland debut ahead of the Rugby World Cup in 2015, he had just 16 Ireland caps to his name, and had only taken over as Ireland's first choice tighthead from Mike Ross in the season leading up to the New Zealand tour. With England having won consecutive Six Nations titles inn 2016 and 2017, Warren Gatland would have been expected to lead with one of the English tightheads, Dan Cole or Kyle Sickler, for the Test series, only for Furlong to claim the starting jersey for that first Test against the All Blacks in Eden Park, and he's kept it ever since. He said: "I was probably young and making my way through it all and learning it all. Gats kind of backed me really. He backed Mako [Vunipola], myself and Jamie George through each of the Saturdays. "I felt pressure by it, in a rugby country like New Zealand, there was pressure. I felt pressure. I probably didn't enjoy it socially as much as I should have, looking back. "I think it's all part of the journey. Whereas this one, it's a great group of lads. I suppose I'm very familiar with the coaches. You feel more at ease. "Obviously, I've gone on two [more] and been around rugby a lot more. You feel more at ease. You feel more belonging straight from the start." Long before he become a Lion, current Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt knew he was a special talent. He first encountered the Wexford man when he was coaching Leinster, and recalls being introduced to the future Ireland international by the province's former academy coach Collie McEntee. "He got brought into the office and introduced himself. He blocked the sun, briefly, and those shoulders haven't got any smaller since," Schmidt said this week. And the Wallabies coach believes Furlong has been rewarded for his persistence and ability to adapt to an ever changing game. "The first time he played a couple of Tests for us in Ireland, he found it tough as young props often do. "The first thing you realise is that this kid is resilient, he got knocked back a couple of times early on, particularly at the scrum. "South Africa [2016] was a baptism of fire. Since then, he's grown into a player who is multi-purpose. "Those skills he has with the ball, his ability to carry himself and he's very good, quite dynamic in the defensive line. "We were here [in Australia], on tour in 2018 and I remember David Pocock was just about to decide to get over the ball and Tadhg Furlong put him back a couple of metres from the ball. "He's certainly an impressive young man and a world class player, so if he wants a day off on Saturday I'd be happy to see that." Furlong has seen it all in his three tours, getting a taste of New Zealand, South Africa and Australia, and he's also experienced every outcome, drawing a series, losing a series, and now, finally, winning one. "It's probably one of the more satisfying achievements that I've been a part of," he added. "It's up there. It's up there. It's such a hard thing to do, and history tells you that. "When you play for the Lions, you understand why, in terms of moulding everyone together and trying to get them on the same track, and the schedule and travel. It's right up there. "I've heard a lot of people explain Lions tours. "I probably haven't found an explanation in a verbal form that matches how you feel about it as a player. It's a special thing. It really is. From all aspects. "You spend your professional rugby life around a lot of the same people. To get to know people from other countries, there's different stories, there's different craic. "There's different ways of slagging, nicknames, all that craic. Playing cards, out and about, dinner, socials. Off the pitch, that's great." He rolls his eyes and laughs when it's suggested that he could defy even his own plans and add to his Lions caps haul in New Zealand in four years at the age of 36. "Just about to turn 37. Could you imagine?" he gasps. And while he wouldn't rule anything out, he's planning to take in every second of Saturday at Accor Stadium. "You're still playing for the Lions. It's not hard to motivate yourself. My motivation is obvious," he said. "I'm not going to say I won't, but I probably won't play for the Lions again. It's been very good to me. It's been very good to my career. You want to play well in it. "I'm kind of leaving a lot of that emotional stuff behind us. Without being clinical about it. You want to give the best version of yourself to it. "Sometimes the last memory is the lasting memory you have in a jersey. I want it to be a good one."
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
Steely-eyed Lions look determined to complete series whitewash against downtrodden Wallabies
Lions Tour, third Test: Australia v British & Irish Lions, Accor Stadium, Sydney, Saturday, 11am Irish time Well then, follow that? The winner takes it all but while the Lions undoubtedly took the spoils last week and the series, it could be argued that the sport, Australian rugby and even World Rugby, were also beneficiaries of that classic second Test. Last week's game had a bit of everything; skill, physicality, errors, discipline, indiscipline, tries galore and jeopardy until the last play of the game and even beyond. Although the Wallabies will desperately want what they will see as some sort of redemption and revenge, and the Lions are hunting a first unbeaten series since 1974 and a first 3-0 series win in Australia since 1904, realistically there is less on the line. It seems hard to imagine this series final scaling those heights again. Who is Ireland's greatest ever Lion? Listen | 26:49 What's more, Sydney has been hit with days of persistent and often heavy rain, which hasn't seemingly put a dampener on the spirits of the Red Army which has been invading the city after various detours between Melbourne and here. But it is forecast to strike again on match day. Both Andy Farrell and Joe Schmidt faced contrasting but difficult challenges this week, the former trying to refocus a team which has secured a series win and celebrated accordingly, and Schmidt endeavouring to revive a group of players whom he described as seriously deflated, likening the fallout from last week's defeat to a grieving process. READ MORE Lions head coach Andy Farrell during Friday's captain's run. Photograph:At face value, Schmidt's challenge looks more difficult. Farrell had planned to give his squad a two-day respite regardless of last week's result and says that has rejuvenated them. A week ago, the Wallabies were on a vengeful, do-or-die mission to keep their hopes of a series win alive and were perfectly primed with a trimmed down, classically Schmidt-devised game plan, operating off slicker lineout launch plays and then runners off Jake Gordon, who mixed his game with a Conor Murray-like display of box-kicking while also taking his try well. The fit-again duo of Rob Valetini and Will Skelton injected real force into their carrying game and combined with Schmidt-esque efficiency at the breakdown, they then cut loose when the Lions were reduced to 14 men for 10 minutes. Calm and composed, the Lions stayed in the hunt through their ruthlessness in the Wallabies 22, upped their physicality in defence, discipline and breakdown work, their bench was excellent and they recorded two 14-phase tries to complete a brilliant and deserved comeback. So, on the presumption that the Wallabies will seek to play similarly, what has changed and how might things pan out differently? Well, for starters, Gordon has been surprisingly omitted to accommodate Nic White in what will be a farewell Wallabies appearance for the spiky 35-year-old. [ Andy Farrell praises Josh van der Flier as he names nine Irish starters for third Test Opens in new window ] [ Wallabies are finding it hard to move on as Lions look to make history Opens in new window ] This, Schmidt explained, is designed to incorporate White's kicking game for the rainy night but also in the belief that the players would want to send the veteran off into the sunset with a win. 'I know it's part of the motivation. It is. He's so well respected in the group,' said Schmidt of White. 'He's been at the top of the game for a dozen years. So, when you make that contribution over 12 years, as I said, it's not sentimentality, but it is a reality when someone is important to the group, that the group want to support them.' After deciding to retire last week, White said he had been considering asking Schmidt if he could run water at Accor Stadium so he'd finish in his boots. 'I didn't see it coming,' admitted White, 'but really appreciate it. And yeah, I won't let the boys down.' Who knows, it may well prove inspired. Tate McDermott has been retained as backup as his running game from the base is well suited to changing the game up in the final 20 or 30 minutes. Australia's Nic White. Photograph: Tom Maher/Inpho That is also more likely to come into play given Schmidt has returned to a conventional 5-3 split on the bench. Instead of changing up the game at scrumhalf, McDermott had to play an hour on the wing, where he was targeted by the Lions. It may even have contributed to Ben Donaldson not being brought on, even though Tom Lynagh's impact became increasingly negligible. However, the Wallabies have not only lost Valetini's explosive carrying again, but they've been hit up front by the loss of tighthead Allan Alaalatoa, as well as both of last week's hookers after Dave Porecki was forced out due to a gash on his Achilles picked up in training. However, this has meant call-ups for the dynamic duo of Tamiela Tupou at tighthead and Brandon Paenga-Amosa as backup hooker to the promoted Billy Pollard, and plenty of pundits and Wallabies supporters believe both should have been in the squad anyway. What's more, it will be Paenga-Amosa's fourth appearance against the Lions, having done so for Western Force, the AUNZ Invitational XV and the First Nations Pasifika XV. This could provide the kind of fresh energy the Wallabies need, but it could also be disruptive and they've been unlucky to ultimately only have Valetini for one of six halves. [ Barry Sheehan: 'The Lions' win and years of love, encouragement, pushing and dragging have led to a warmth that radiates from the inside out' Opens in new window ] Farrell firmly believes this Lions team has not played to the maximum of its ability to date, but admitted: 'I don't think you ever do.' He added: 'We can say if we put the first half of the first Test and the second half of the second Test together, would you get a perfect performance? It never really happens like that. 'The simple reason is that at this type of level, two good quality sides are always going to cancel each other out somewhere along the line within the process of 80 minutes of rugby. I suppose that is going to be the same again on Saturday.' Farrell also proved he is no sentimentalist in promoting James Ryan and Blair Kinghorn while restoring Ben Earl to the matchday 23. This means only 27 players have been used in the series to date, 11 of whom will have started all three Tests. An opportunity may arise, however, due to an injury doubt over winger Tommy Freeman. Mack Hansen would be an option if fully fit but he has missed the first two Tests with a foot injury and was deemed '85 per cent' fit earlier in the week. Owen Farrell may move to centre with Huw Jones going to the wing, while James Lowe and Jamie Osborne are also options. Nevertheless, Farrell's selection looks like a statement of intent and perhaps demonstrates a steely-eyed determination to complete the series whitewash which Farrell had targeted from the outset. After last week's scare, it looks even more achievable as the week has progressed too. Perhaps history calls them. AUSTRALIA: Tom Wright (Brumbies); Max Jorgensen (Force), Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii (Waratahs), Len Ikitau (Brumbies), Dylan Pietsch (Waratahs); Tom Lynagh (Reds), Nic White (Force); James Slipper (Brumbies), Billy Pollard (Brumbies), Taniela Tupou (Waratahs); Nick Frost (Brumbies), Will Skelton (La Rochelle); Tom Hooper (Brumbies), Fraser McReight (Reds), Harry Wilson (capt, Reds). Replacements: Brandon Paenga-Amosa (Force), Angus Bell (Waratahs), Zane Nonggorr (Reds), Jeremy Williams (Force), Langi Gleeson (Waratahs), Tate McDermott (Reds), Ben Donaldson (Force), Andrew Kellaway (Waratahs). BRITISH & IRISH LIONS: Hugo Keenan (Leinster/Ireland); Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints/England), Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland), Bundee Aki (Connacht/Ireland), Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse/Scotland); Finn Russell (Bath/Scotland), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster/Ireland); Andrew Porter (Leinster/Ireland), Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Ireland), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Ireland); Maro Itoje (capt, Saracens/England), James Ryan (Leinster/Ireland); Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Ireland), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks/England), Jack Conan (Leinster/Ireland). Replacements: Rónan Kelleher (Leinster/Ireland), Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears/England), Will Stuart (Bath/England), Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers/England), Jac Morgan (Ospreys/Wales), Ben Earl (Saracens/England), Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints/England), Owen Farrell (Saracens/England). Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU). Assistant Referees: Ben O'Keeffe (NZR), Andrea Piardi (FIR). TMO: Marius Jonker (SARU). FPRO: Richard Kelly (NZR). Overall head-to-head: Played 25, Australia 6 wins, Lions 19 wins. Last seven meetings: 2001: Australia 13 Lions 29; Australia 35 Lions 14; Australia 29 Lions 23 2013: Australia 21 Lions 23; Australia 16 Lions 15; Australia 16 Lions 41 2025: Australia 19 Lions 24. Australia 26 Lions 29 Forecast: Lions to win.
