Lions jury: Green-tinted glasses, predicted line-ups for the first Test and how serious is the Australian threat?
1. Does the Lions fully float your boat or has the grand old tour lost its lustre in your eyes?
Rúaidhrí O'Connor: It's easy to be cynical about the massive corporate juggernaut that is the modern Lions and there's no doubt the tour's transformation into a huge brand has lessened some of the appeal, but once it's up and running, the supporters start arriving and the Tests loom into view, it's hard to resist the allure.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Extra.ie
11 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Over a third of school rugby players admit they'd play On despite concussion symptoms, study finds
A new study has revealed that a worrying stat that over a third of rugby players in schools would play on with concussion symptoms. The study was conducted by UCC where over 520 IRFU-registered rugby players from 17 clubs and five schools were surveyed as part of the research. 35% of school players said they would still play a sport while also having a headache that resulted from a minor concussion. Meanwhile only 14% of club players held the same sentiment. The study was conducted by UCC where over 520 IRFU-registered rugby players from 17 clubs and five schools were surveyed as part of the research. Pic: Getty Images The intense pressurizing culture in rugby schools seems to be at them as 11% of school players said they personally felt a concussed player should return to play during a semi-final game rather than going off. When comparing this to the 4% of club players that felt the same it's clear that school players feel the need to perform outweighs the need to recover. Another surprising stat from the research was that 20% of school players said most athletes would feel a concussed player should resume playing in such a scenario like a semi-final as well. This may change in the future after Garry Ringrose's decision to pull out of the Lions' test series against Australia due to concussion symptoms that went unnoticed. Another surprising stat from the research was that 20% of school players said most athletes would feel a concussed player should resume playing in such a scenario like a semi-final as well. Pic: Getty Images Hopefully the work of players like Ringrose and the effort by the IRFU and World Rugby will help younger players realise the severity of concussion and CTE. And it would appear that plenty of players need to know this information and have been on the receiving end of head trauma. The research found 46% of club players had experienced a medically diagnosed concussion at least once in their playing career with a worrying 16% recording three or more diagnosed concussions. Then 41% of school players had experienced a medically diagnosed concussion with only 4% having three or more diagnosed concussions. Meanwhile, only 26% of club players and 30% of school players never had a suspected previous concussion. Overall, rugby players in Ireland were able to identify concussion signs and symptoms correctly 78% of the time. The study concluded: 'Players showed good concussion knowledge, indicating other factors such as the desire to play, performance pressure and the lack of awareness of long-term risk may still contribute to unsafe attitudes.'
Extra.ie
2 days ago
- Extra.ie
40 years of Irish rugby failure leave no room for sentiment
Right, that's over with then, now can we get on with what really matters? The 2025 Lions tour to Australia ended up pretty much as expected – a commercially successful, culturally questionable trip that was not as bad as it could have been, not as good as they would have us believe. Indeed, of the 10 Lions tours to have taken place since 1989, you would rank this one only above Clive Woodward's 2005 catastrophe in New Zealand and the 2021 abomination in South Africa that should be wiped from memory. A disappointed Clive Woodward in New Zealand in 2005. Pic:That is not to diminish the individual achievement by the players and head coach Andy Farrell – Lions recognition is the highest point attainable and series victories are uncommon – but for all the foaming excitement that ensued after the second Test, history will be largely apathetic whenever the 2025 tour is raised. So, back to what really matters. This tour arrived slap back in the middle of the latest four-year cycle featuring Ireland's ongoing quest to end their World Cup quarter-final jinx – now extending to 40 years. Opinion is divided as to how this Lions tour will affect that target. Maro Itoje lifts the Qatar Airways series trophy. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie Some believe having so many Irish players and backroom staff on tour can only be a good thing when Ireland return to Australia for the World Cup in 2027. Others make a good case as to why Andy Farrell's secondment on Lions duty was an unwelcome distraction within the bigger picture and why exposing his methods to rival countries could come back to bite Irish ambition in two years' time. A good case has been made as to why Andy Farrell's secondment on Lions duty was an unwelcome distraction within the bigger picture. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile There are merits to both positions but, wherever you come down, the key conclusion remains the same – every decision from this point on has to be made with the World Cup 2027 quarter-final in mind. Beating the All Blacks in Chicago this November? Been there, done that – not as important as winning our first World Cup knockout game in two years' time. Winning next year's Six Nations? Been there, etc. Conor Murray celebrates Robbie Henshaw's try against New Zealand at Soldier Field in 2016. Pic: INPHO/Billy Stickland Triumphing on next summer's tour to Australia and New Zealand? See above. Nothing else matters and Farrell has to grasp that reality now or his remarkable coaching legacy will be forever ruined by consistent World Cup failure. And that starts with his selection policy for November. Farrell gets significant praise for his selection acumen over the years – there are many examples of this, notably the elevation of Jamison Gibson-Park in 2021, bringing through the likes of Jamie Osborne and Sam Prendergast and, most recently, having faith in Tadhg Beirne and Tom Curry when form and favour were against them. Tom Curry celebrates scoring against Australia. Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan However, there are also examples of selection myopia, when Farrell zeroes in on the challenge directly ahead rather than widen the lens to embrace the full picture. We saw that for the third Test on the Lions Tour. The series was in the bag and no matter how many emotional speeches were delivered about making history and becoming 'the greatest Lions ever', the players were never going to be at the same emotional pitch as they were when the series was on the line – especially not at the end of such a long, gruelling season. Furthermore, there were players like Josh van der Flier, Ellis Genge, Scott Cummings, Sione Tuipulotu, Will Stuart, Mack Hansen, Henry Pollock and Jac Morgan who were worthy of a Test start after excellent tours. Josh van der Flier was worthy of a Test start. Pic:This might have led to cries of disrespect from the hosts but none of those players would have weakened the Lions starting XV and their freshness would most likely have energised a performance that could not cope with Australia's onslaught in Sydney. A similar approach to Ireland's November international schedule could have disastrous implications down the line. The core of Farrell's Ireland team are now well into their 30s and, while it may seem cold given what they have brought to the green jersey, they have to be assessed on the basis of whether they will make it to Australia 2027. If they are deemed unlikely to do so, then they need to be thanked for their service and moved to one side. This country's greatest player Brian O'Driscoll played up until 2014, just a year out from the World Cup, and, as a result, Ireland did not have a settled midfield combination when it mattered in 2015 – a situation New Zealand would never have allowed to happen. Brian O'Driscoll celebrates with the Six Nations trophy in 2014. Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan For all their contributions to the cause, there is no point in Bundee Aki (35), James Lowe (33) or Finlay Bealham (33) blocking the path of younger players in November if they are considered unlikely to still be in consideration in 2027. The likes of Jamison Gibson-Park, Tadhg Beirne and Tadhg Furlong are also well into their 30s but these are hugely influential leaders within the Ireland squad and there is precedent for corralling an experienced core to backbone a successful World Cup campaign. England remain the only northern hemisphere side to have won the World Cup and in 2003 they got there on the back of the nous and resolve of the likes of Martin Johnson, Neil Back, Jason Leonard and Mike Catt, who were all well into their fourth decade at the time. England remain the only northern hemisphere side to have won the World Cup. Pic: Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images With careful management, Ireland can do the same with their key veterans, as long as there is plenty of exposure given to younger alternatives to ensure that when Australia 2027 rolls around, Ireland have proven cover in all positions – the key ingredient that's been most consistently absent in previous World Cup failures. However you feel about the Lions in general, and the 2025 tour in particular, this victory represents another landmark achievement for Andy Farrell. Since 2020, Farrell has won two Six Nations titles, three Triple Crowns, the Grand Slam, a historic series in New Zealand, the world coach of the year award in 2023 and now a Lions series. It is a staggering roll call of achievement that already sets Farrell up as one of the finest coaches rugby union has seen. Getting Ireland to their first World Cup semi-final is the only gap yet to be filled and, with the Lions firmly in the rear-view mirror, every action Farrell takes between now and 2027 should be taken with that one knockout game in mind. We are looking at 40 years of failure – there is no room for sentiment.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Irish Times
Jac Morgan's pivotal Lions moment reignites jackling debate in rugby
Another Lions tour added to the annals, and everyone is more or less happy. The British & Irish Lions take a series win, just about, and Australia have a pivotal moment at the end of the second Test to whinge about, or console themselves over, depending on your viewpoint. Certainly, these days, it is difficult to know what disciplinary outcome may pertain to each incident in the cut and thrust of elite rugby. Most people with eyes can appreciate there was no head contact when Jac Morgan tried to clear out the jackling Carlo Tizzano in the build-up to Hugo Keenan's winning try, but there is no doubt, either, that Tizzano was in an exposed position, just as that particular split-second represented an impossible situation for Morgan. Had he gone any lower he would have made contact with the head, higher and he would have missed the clearout altogether. Beyond the noise of yet more grown-ups who should know better carrying on as if they were the first to find themselves on the wrong side of a contentious decision, a wider question has bubbled up again – and this one has been brewing for a while – about whether the time has come to put the jackal to sleep once and for all. Indeed, lexically, World Rugby has tried to do just that. In the latest amendment to its law book, all mentions of 'the jackal' and its variations have been replaced by 'the stealer'. This may be because of the conjugation of a verb that did not exist in the English language until rugby came along. Before it removed them altogether, World Rugby chose to spell the inflections of the verb 'to jackal' so that they matched those of the verb 'to tackle', rather than 'to pedal', causing mayhem in editorial offices across the world. READ MORE Some people consider the jackal sacrosanct, the ultimate embodiment of the contest for the ball that distinguishes rugby union from various other collision sports. Once upon a time it tended to be the preserve of the openside flanker. Nowadays, with hundreds of tackles a match, a team need multiple players proficient at the skill. But once upon a time really is not very long ago in this case. The jackal is a phenomenon of the professional era. A few years ago, in the Welford Road press room, discussing it were a couple of former internationals; one who retired just before the game turned pro, the other whose career started just after. When they were asked who first became renowned for their jackling, there was a moment's silence. The international from the amateur era looked blank. The one from the pro era, after some thought, offered Josh Kronfeld, the All Blacks openside of the late 1990s. Which feels about right. New Zealand flanker Josh Kronfeld hurdles in on England's Matt Perry during the Rugby World Cup pool match at Twickenham in 2009. Photograph:This is not to say no one ever went for the ball after a tackle in the amateur era, but there was not a name for the practice, and the window of opportunity was brief, with 'hands off' called the moment an opponent bound on to form a ruck. There are two main arguments for querying the jackal's pervasiveness in the modern game. The first is a safety matter, although why we should pick on that area above any other is not obvious. Rugby is a dangerous game. The sooner the authorities recognise that by reserving their sanctions for deliberate acts of recklessness, the fewer impossible disciplinary quandaries there will be to resolve. Jacklers, though, do place themselves in vulnerable positions – and it is not just the head that is exposed. A team doctor in the English Premiership mused about 15 years ago that there was a new injury in rugby, which had been seen previously only in surfing, when the surfer is hit by a wave while crouched on the board. That injury, a serious one, is called an avulsion, when the hamstring is torn from the bone, and it is the jackler who suffers it if hit hard enough by a clearout. So much for the safety. There is also a compelling argument on rugby grounds. The great poser these days is how to get players back into the ruck. The game has never been more vibrant and entertaining on the field, but insofar as there are bad games, which of course there are, they usually play out to the relentless thud of hit-up after hit-up as defenders fan across the field. The main reason they can do that is that they need to send only one player in at every tackle to jackal, who in turn invites two or three of the attacking side to clear out, thus tilting the balance beyond the ruck in favour of the defending side. Make it illegal to use hands after the tackle, so the theory goes, and the ruck will become the primary contest for the ball at each tackle. A turnover can be won when the first defender steps over the ball. Thus teams will need to resource the rucks if they want to maintain possession or win it back. That should create space elsewhere. It sounds reasonable, but there will almost certainly be downsides, as there always are in rugby's eternal quest for the perfect set of laws. A personal view is that far too much latitude has been extended to the jackler, who is now granted rights to handle the ball, if the first one there, long after any ruck has formed. At the very least, rugby might consider a return to what used to be lore: that all hands come off the moment a ruck is formed. A happy side effect might be to calm the ardour of the clearout, where players almost panic at the sight of a jackler and charge in desperation. Any situation that permits a defender to put the attacking side in an impossible situation needs reviewing. The jackler is a prime example. Coming to a law trial near you … –
