Lions coach Andy Farrell isn't buying into the hype of a series sweep against Australia
The Lions head coach only had to walk the streets of Brisbane and have a chance encounter with Australia and Queensland Origin rugby league legend Gorden Tallis in the days leading up to Saturday's first test to be reminded of what to expect.
Tallis 'said everyone used to talk about Queensland being underdogs. He said 'We never, ever saw it that way.' Australia will be exactly the same,' said Farrell, who was captain of the British rugby league team before switching to rugby union.
The Lions tour every four years to the southern hemisphere but the Wallabies only face them every 12, usually a once-in-a-career opportunity.
'If you're in a position where it comes down to this every 12 years and you get to pull the shirt on for the Wallabies and the privilege that goes with that — they'll be fighting tooth and nail,' Farrell said. 'I'm sure they'll want to prove a point.'
He wanted to embrace being heavy favorites for the series, but said there's 'no overconfidence, at all.'
'It's having an inner confidence within our group that we are going to execute the plan when it matters.'
Farrell was a defense coach at Ireland before taking over from Joe Schmidt as head coach there in 2020. Schmidt, a New Zealander, is now head coach of an Australia squad that is rebuilding after its worst-ever Rugby World Cup performance in 2023.
They're well acquainted.
'You don't go into a series trying not to win it 3-nil — it's a natural target for them,' Schmidt said of those predictions of a Lions sweep. 'But I know Andy Farrell well enough to know he won't be talking about 3-nil. They'll be focused on this test alone, not Melbourne or Sydney I don't think.'
While the Lions are unbeaten in five tour games so far in Australia, the Wallabies are coming off a scratchy 21-18 comeback win over Fiji as their only match preparation. They've also got a new halves combination and will be missing some size and power in the forward pack.
'Obviously the skill execution wasn't great against Fiji. We have to be a lot more cohesive and accurate,' Schmidt said. 'We've had one test match. We've got 15 this year.'
'We thought we'd ease our way into the year!' he added, joking about the monumental task ahead for his Wallabies. 'That's the magnitude of it, really.'
Key confrontations
The halves combinations will be critical to the outcome. The Lions have the advantage in the experienced and assured Scotland flyhalf Finn Russell directing play and working with Jamison Gibson-Park, one of eight Irishmen in the XV.
Schmidt has entrusted the playmaking duties to 22-year-old Tom Lynagh, the son of Wallabies great Michael Lynagh. The quietly confident Lynagh is starting a test for the first time and working with Jake Gordon.
The Lions will be expecting scrum dominance, and for a hard edge will be relying on a front row featuring Ireland prop Tadhg Furlong and hooker Dan Sheehan and England prop Ellis Genge. For the Wallabies, 144-test veteran James Slipper is starting in his second series against the Lions and looking for revenge. He'll be packing down with Allan Ala'alatoa, who has 81 caps, and young hooker Matt Faessler.
For the first time since more than a century, there are no Welshmen in the Lions test squad.
Recent series
Brisbane is a city where the Lions have had success.
In 1989, when Michael Lynagh was Australia's playmaker, the Wallabies won the opening match in Sydney 30-12 before the Lions rallied to take a brutal second test 19-12 in Brisbane, dubbed the 'Battle of Ballymore.' The Lions won the decider, back in Sydney, which was famous for an errant pass by Australian winger David Campese that gifted a simple try and lead to the visitors.
The 2001 series opener in Brisbane felt more like a home game for the Lions, with the Gabba stadium filled with fans wearing red. That helped propel the Lions to a win over the 1999 World Cup champions. But the Australians rallied to win in Melbourne and Sydney to clinch a historic series win.
Twelve years ago, on the last tour to Australia, the Lions again won in Brisbane — 23-21 — when Wallabies' goalkicker Kurtley Beale slipped and missed a last-minute penalty attempt. The Wallabies won the second test in Melbourne, when Leigh Halfpenny missed a late shot at goal that would have clinched the series for the Lions. The Lions dominated in Sydney to clinch the series.
Tour so far
The Lions are perfect in Australia since a 28-24 loss to Argentina in a warmup in Dublin. They had wins over Super Rugby franchises Western Force,
Queensland Reds, Waratahs and Brumbies — before last Saturday's 48-0 demolition of an AUNZ invitational XV.
___
AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
33 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Houston ace Framber Valdez criticizes defensive shift in Astros' loss to Nationals
HOUSTON (AP) — Houston ace Framber Valdez expressed frustration about the defensive positioning on a play in the sixth inning Monday night that led to the only run he allowed in the Astros' 2-1 loss to the Washington Nationals. There were two outs in the sixth when Valdez walked Josh Bell. Nathaniel Lowe's groundball double to the right field corner scored Bell and tied the game at 1. Valdez wasn't happy that right fielder Taylor Trammell was shifted halfway to center field instead of in right field on the play. 'I saw the right fielder playing center field and, you know, we have a center fielder for that,' Valdez told reporters in Spanish through a translator. 'I feel like the right fielder should have been playing right field. I was uncomfortable with that.' Valdez was asked if he addressed the positioning with the coaching staff. 'I don't have to ask the coaches about that,' he said. 'I feel like baseball is a game of common sense. With me as a lefty pitcher, they don't hit a lot of fly balls against me.' Valdez allowed three hits and a run while tying a season high with 12 strikeouts in six innings to become the 10th pitcher in franchise history to reach 1,000 career strikeouts (1,007). Riley Adams hit a solo homer in the seventh inning to give Washington the win and extend Houston's skid to a season-high five games. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. ___ AP MLB:
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Skylar Diggins has triple-double as Storm beat Sun
UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Skylar Diggins had a triple-double, Nneka Ogwumike scored 26 points and the Seattle Storm blew past the Connecticut Sun 101-85 on Monday night. Nine days after recording the first triple-double in WNBA All-Star Game history, Diggins did it again with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists against the Sun. Seattle led 57-46 at halftime, then Ogwumike had nine points and Diggins scored four as the Storm added 13 points in the first three minutes of the third quarter. Seattle scored 30 points in the period and took an 87-58 lead into the fourth. Ogwumike shot 11 for 13, including 4 of 5 on 3-pointers. She did not attempt a shot in the fourth quarter. Seattle's 86.7% shooting in the third quarter was a franchise record for any quarter. The Storm cooled down in the fourth quarter, scoring 14 points. They finally reached the 100-point mark when Zia Cooke hit a jumper with nine seconds left. Williams scored 16 points, Dominique Malonga had 12 and Ezi Magbegor 10 for Seattle (16-11). Bria Hartley scored 17 and Tina Charles added 11 for Connecticut (4-21). Jacy Sheldon scored 11 off the bench and Olivia Nelson-Ododa had 10. WINGS 92, LIBERTY 82 ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Arike Ogunbowale had 20 points and 14 assists, Paige Bueckers scored 20 points and Dallas hung on to beat New York despite making only one field goal in the fourth quarter. Dallas led 85-62 through three quarters but a 3-pointer from Aziaha James with about 7 minutes remaining was the Wings' only basket of the final period. New York outscored Dallas 20-3 over the first 8 1/2 minutes, capped by Jonquel Jones' 3-pointer that made it 88-82. Bueckers — with former UConn teammate Azzi Fudd in attendance wearing an 'I Heart PB' T-shirt — finally scored for Dallas, making two free throws with 1:06 remaining. After Jones missed a jumper, DiJonai Carrington made two free throws for a 92-82 lead with 54 seconds left.
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Ogunbowale, Bueckers score 20 apiece and Wings hang on to defeat Liberty 92-82
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Arike Ogunbowale had 20 points and 14 assists, Paige Bueckers scored 20 points and the Dallas Wings hung on to beat the New York Liberty 92-82 on Monday night despite making only one field goal in the fourth quarter. Dallas led 85-62 through three quarters but a 3-pointer from Aziaha James with about 7 minutes remaining was the Wings' only basket of the final period. New York outscored Dallas 20-3 over the first 8 1/2 minutes, capped by Jonquel Jones' 3-pointer that made it 88-82. Bueckers — with former UConn teammate Azzi Fudd in attendance wearing an 'I Heart PB' T-shirt — finally scored for Dallas, making two free throws with 1:06 remaining. After Jones missed a jumper, DiJonai Carrington made two free throws for a 92-82 lead with 54 seconds left. The Wings led 31-19 after the first quarter and extended their lead to 63-36 at halftime, when Ogunbowale became the first player in WNBA history to have at least 15 points and 10 assists in one half. Jones had 18 points for New York (17-8), which was playing without Breanna Stewart because of a right leg injury and lost its second straight. Sabrina Ionescu scored 17. Luisa Geiselsoder had 14 points for Dallas (8-19). Up next New York: Visits Minnesota on Wednesday in a matchup of the two conference leaders. Dallas: Hosts Atlanta on Wednesday. ___ AP WNBA:
