'The show is on the road' - Farrell calls for Lions to hit the ground running against Pumas
ANDY FARRELL HAS warned his Lions squad to hit the ground running after naming his team for Friday night's clash with Argentina in Dublin.
Some of the group have been together since last week, while others have only joined in recent days after finishing club commitments over the weekend.
Yet Farrell has still be able to name a strong team for the Pumas game, as the 2025 Lions look to make a strong start to their campaign.
'Naming the squad yesterday was great,' said Farrell, speaking at the Aviva Stadium.
'You feel like the show is on the road, the journey is about to begin properly so it was exciting to name that and allow the boys to realise that they'll be the first to represent this group.'
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Those lucky few might get a head start in the selection race but the chasing pack won't be too far behind. The players involved in URC and Premiership finals joined the squad earlier this week, and the Lions boss said any injured players are close to returning to fitness.
'They're all a week or so away from being fit. We didn't quite know until Jamison (Gibson-Park) got another scan Monday night, I think that was pretty positive so Jack (van Poortvliet) comes over for cover for this game. Jamison should be up and running for the week after.
'Huw Jones has trained with us this week, he's been back into full training so that was great. Hugo Keenan ran for the first time a couple of days ago. Everything is going pretty well as far as that's concerned. There's always one or two bumps and bruises that you're trying to nurse. That's the nature of rugby.'
Ireland prop Tadhg Furlong has been passed fit to feature, with Farrell naming the tighthead on the bench. Furlong has played just eight games this season (seven with Leinster, one for Ireland) across an injury-disrupted campaign.
'Well, he's fit, and ready to go and train well,' Farrell confirmed. 'And he's as keen as everyone else to get the show on the road.
Farrell was then asked how many minutes he hopes to give Furlong on Friday night.
'It is what it is. You have all the best plans for a game of rugby. You've got to be ready from minute one or you roll with the punches. You may want to get someone on after 50 or 55 minutes but that might not come to fruition and they might only get five minutes at the end. It is what it is. Everyone understands that.'
Farrell's matchday squad for Friday includes a total of 14-first time Lions, including Ireland players Finlay Bealham, Rónan Kelleher and Mack Hansen.
'It's what they dream of, there's no doubt about that, you can just tell with the buzz in the group and what it means to them, the excitement around the place,' Farrell added.
'We've seen it in the preparation, how diligent they've been, how quickly they've come together as a group and the bond that they've got already in such a short space of time, is great to see but best foot forward and all that, it's all about the performance on Friday night, isn't it?
'That's where we're all going to get judged, we want to do the shirt proud and represent the group properly on Friday night.'
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