Lions boss Farrell praises 'big-game players' Beirne and Curry
Farrell had said the flanker positions in his starting XV had been hotly contested, but he backed Beirne at blindside and Curry at openside.
The Lions boss was rewarded with outstanding displays by both, who combined superbly with number eight Jack Conan in the Lions' win.
'Immense, absolutely immense,' said Farrell. 'Big-game players who were probably challenged by a good few. I think it told a story.
'Tom Curry put in some really nice shots defensively and Tadhg Beirne got the turnover very early doors and set the tone really and I don't think it stopped there, it carried on the same the whole game.
'Jack Conan's carrying was very much on the front foot, so those three guys I am sure they will be delighted with the way they responded to selection.'
Curry and Beirne's places in the Lions team were questioned by some media and supporters, but Farrell doesn't believe they were looking to respond to that discourse.
'I wouldn't say they took it to heart, no,' said Farrell. 'We have conversations of why do you think you're selected and what is it that you're going to bring to the team performance and to a man they're unbelievably honest.'
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Tom Curry celebrates his try. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
Sione Tuipulotu, Curry, and Dan Sheehan scored tries for the Lions, while Finn Russell kicked 12 points off the tee and Marcus Smith added another three late in the game.
Farrell said he was thrilled to get off to a successful start in the three-game series.
'It's huge,' said the Lions head coach. 'Obviously, that puts the pressure on for next week and it keeps us in the tour certainly up until the last game, that is guaranteed.
'Absolutely delighted, big occasion, big game, we know what coming to Suncorp means to Australia so they would have been targeting this, so delighted to come away with this victory.
'At the same time, we know what is coming and we know what happened in the second half and how much more there is in us. So we roll onto the second game knowing full well what happened in 2013 when an Australian team becomes desperate – it is difficult to handle so we expect a different game next week.
'But having said that, we expect more of ourselves as well.'
Out-half Russell was replaced after suffering cramp during the second half but the only obvious injury concern arising from the Lions' win in Brisbane was second row Joe McCarthy.
The Ireland lock was forced off early in the second half and Farrell confirmed post-match that he is suffering from plantar fasciitis, which involves inflammation of the tissue on the bottom of the foot.
Joe McCarthy is an injury concern for the Lions. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
'It was niggling away at him there,' said Farrell.
'We got him off. Hopefully, we got him off in time.'
It remains to be seen how McCarthy recovers ahead of next weekend's second Test, but Farrell said Blair Kinghorn and Garry Ringrose are recovering well from the knee and head injuries that kept them out of the first Test.
'Blair's doing well, Blair's doing pretty well, so we'll see,' said Farrell.
'Garry's good, Garry's going well. Hopefully, they carry on that trajectory and could be available for Tuesday.'
The Lions will face the First Nations & Pasifika XV in Melbourne on Tuesday in their final midweek game of the tour but the main focus will be that second Test at the MCG on Saturday.
Farrell was delighted with his side's winning start, but he wasn't happy with how they failed to finish strongly in Brisbane.
'That shouldn't happen,' he said.
'We talk about that, we talk about being next moment focused at all times and that certainly shouldn't happen. Two wrongs don't make a right. We certainly need to address that as well. Subconsciously, I guess that tends to happen, not that it should.'
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Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
How the Lions team looks for second Test: changes possible in the backline
One win in the books and with a chance to secure a first Lions series victory in 12 years now just 80 minutes away at the MCG this Saturday, will Andy Farrell stick or twist with his selection from the 27-19 success in Brisbane? Full-back: Hugo Keenan had a relatively free run to his Lions Test debut at number 15 once Blair Kinghorn was ruled out with a knee injury sustained 10 days before the series opener. Head coach Farrell said he was hopeful Kinghorn could pass fit to face the First Nations & Pasifika XV at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium on Tuesday and a positive comeback for the Toulouse and Scotland playmaker could put some serious pressure on his Ireland counterpart. Keenan had a mixed performance at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday and will be cursing having his pocket picked by Wallabies wing Max Jorgensen as the pair came down from an aerial battle each with hands on the ball. Jorgensen raced over the line to score. That may work in Kinghorn's favour if he can get back to match readiness this week. VERDICT: Kinghorn Right wing: Tommy Freeman was another member of the back three to have a patchy performance in Brisbane. The England wing had also benefitted from a rival's injury, to Mack Hansen, and much will depend on the Ireland man getting his foot back to full health if Freeman is to hang onto his place in the starting backline. The latest update from the Lions is that the Connacht star is progressing well and having his training load increased in the coming days. Hansen is a firm favourite of Farrell's and such an important link in the way Ireland attack, roaming off his wing in search of involvements. Freeman can do that too and he and Hansen have been the Lions' best performing wings on the tour but there may be a way to start them both... Left wing James Lowe has not been at his most powerful best on this Australian tour and the first Test saw his finishing prowess under scrutiny once again, held up over the line for the second game in successive starts. His big left boot has been a serious weapon for Ireland in the past but could this be the moment Lowe is jettisoned for a player in better form? Farrell could start Hansen on the left wing with Freeman on the right, despite not having that left-footed kicking ability. VERDICTS: Freeman and Hansen. Centres: Another semi-forced hand in the form of a head injury to Garry Ringrose ushered in the all-Scottish midfield partnership of Sione Tuipulotu and outside centre Huw Jones and both men were outstanding against Australia on Saturday, with the former scoring the opening try on eight minutes and the latter's increasingly good form proving crucial to the fluidity of the Lions' attacking play. Again, it was another case of a big game player in Tuipulotu rising to the occasion when it mattered after some quieter outings in the tour matches. Bundee Aki came off the bench to replace the inside centre around the hour mark but it looks like the Ireland pairing with Ringrose clear to play again from Tuesday will not manage to unseat their Scottish rivals for the MCG Test. VERDICTS: Tuipulotu and Jones. Half-backs: Nothing to see here with scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park and fly-half Finn Russell's game management oozing class against the Wallabies at Suncorp Stadium. Gibson-Park's excellent box kicking was a key to unlocking the Australian defence while Russell's goal-kicking added an extra layer of confidence to the Lions gameplan Same again in Melbourne please. VERDICTS: Gibson-Park and Russell. Front Row: The Lions scrum came under pressure from the Wallabies in Brisbane with referee Ben O'Keeffe twice penalising the loosehead props, Ellie Genge and then replacement Andre Porter for hinging. But the trio to a man were superb in the loose, hooker Sheehan scoring the game-clinching try and tighthead Furlong looking like a player reborn in his seventh consecutive Lions Test start after a season severely disrupted by injury. No change here. VERDICTS: Genge, Sheehan, Furlong. Second row: A foot injury to starting lock Joe McCarthy could throw a spanner in the works for hopes of an unchanged forward pack in Melbourne this Saturday. The Ireland man's plantar fascitis, a painful inflammation of the fibrous tissues connecting the heel with the toes in the sole of a foot, will need to be carefully managed if he is to retain his tighthead lock jersey alongside captain Maro Itoje. Ollie Chessum was McCarthy's replacement on in 42 minutes and would be favourite to start in his place but Scott Cummings and James Ryan could also stake claims if Itoje fails to recover. VERDICTS: Itoje, McCarthy – fitness permitting. Back Row: The big beasts bared their teeth and claws in Brisbane as Tadhg Beirne and Tom Curry both vindicated their selections and then some to blow the Wallabies away. The two flankers and No.8 Jack Conan all made their mark, earning the generous praise of Andy Farrell and each can expect to retain their jerseys this Saturday. VERDICTS: Beirne, Curry, Conan. Bench forwards: The Lions bench should have continued with the starters' dominant play but were eclipsed by a hungry and impactful Australia bench. Given the quality of back rowers in this squad, the likes of Henry Pollock, Jac Morgan and Josh van der Flier will be knocking on the door for inclusion at Ben Earl's expense this time around. VERDICTS: Kelleher, Porter, Stuart, Chessum, Earl. Bench backs: Having selected a replacement fly-half who can play full-back in Marcus Smith and an out and out inside centre in Bundee Aki last Saturday, Andy Farrell may reconfigure his backline bench options for the second Test. How about a back-up 10 who can just as easily play at 12, and a 13 who can cover the wing positions? Step forward Owen Farrell and Garry Ringrose. VERDICTS: Mitchell, Farrell, Ringrose
The 42
4 hours ago
- The 42
One of Ireland's great athletes on a career that almost didn't happen
IT WOULD BE no exaggeration to describe Thomas Barr as a trailblazer. The list of Irish athletes who have reached an Olympic final, let alone finished fourth in one, is not long. To this day, Barr remains the only Irishman to run a sub-49-second 400m hurdles, though he namechecks promising Donegal youngsters Fintan and Ethan Dewhirst as potential heirs to his throne. The time of 47.97, which he set at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, is an Irish record unlikely to be broken soon. And towards the latter half of his career, Barr was an important member of the winning European Championship mixed 4x400m relay team. 'It's funny,' he says. 'Even when I look back on my career, I think, Jesus: 'Did I really do that?'' What stands out about Barr's success is how unlikely it was. He was not a prodigy like the Irish sprint sensation of the moment, Rhasidat Adeleke. Instead, he was a late bloomer who nearly quit the sport as he entered college at the University of Limerick. Roughly six months since announcing his retirement, Barr sat down with The42 near his home in Limerick to reflect on what might have been had he not taken his parents' advice to stick at athletics for another year. Barr enjoys telling the story during his frequent visits to schools on behalf of the experiential learning programme Develop Me, about how, for years, he had poured himself into sport without achieving the results he desired. He was ready to walk away, as he wanted to try new things. 'I wanted to experience the sort of college lifestyle,' he says. 'I wanted to join all the new clubs and societies, and [undertake] extreme sports and stuff. 'But it was my parents who had said: Look, why don't you give it one more year under [my coaches] Hayley and Drew [Harrison]. 'It was my dad, he saw a talent in me in particular that no one else saw. '[They suggested] after that, if you're still not happy with the decision, or you're not getting where you want to end, at least you tried it, and you can move on.' That year, 2011, Barr qualified for the European Junior Championships and seldom looked back. 'Even at that point, I still didn't think it was a career. But I thought: 'Okay, I'm improving, so let's see where we can take it.' It was sort of like a marker or an appetiser, really, for what I could achieve if I gave it a go. 'It didn't change my mindset, but it just made the decision that I should keep going.' His parents weren't the only important family members in this regard. Jessie Barr was a significant influence on her younger brother Thomas. Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO Barr's sister Jessie, three years his senior, was a considerable inspiration. Her many achievements included competing at the 2012 Olympics. It is only now that Barr appreciates the profound influence she had. 'She was so close to me, and she made it very accessible. I saw the work she was doing. I saw what it took to become an Olympian. I saw what it took to become a world-challenging athlete, a world-class talent. 'And so I thought, well, if Jessie can do it, why can't I? But it was never a conscious decision that I said: 'Oh, Jessie's doing it, why can't I?' She paved the way for me without me even knowing, because, even since I've retired, I've gotten some lovely messages from younger athletes even across Europe, saying when they saw me compete in an Olympic final and finished fourth, they thought that was just a fella from Waterford, a young lad, very unassuming, and it genuinely inspired them to become an athlete and to chase a dream, to try and get to that level.' He continues: 'And for me, that person was Jessie, who made it accessible, because those athletes that I know would have would have known who I was, would have seen me working and training in the background, and then they say: 'Well, that's what he did to get to get to there, and that's exactly what Jessie did.' 'She also taught me a lot about how to act as an athlete, and the sort of respect that you show for your competitors and all of that kind of stuff. So she was a huge influence on my career, and I followed in her footsteps. I just copied what events she did.' Advertisement Jessie's post-athletics career has been similarly impressive. Repeated injury woes prompted her retirement in 2019, but she was well prepared for this fate, having spent years working towards obtaining a master's and PhD in sports psychology. These days, Jessie is a performance psychologist at the Sport Ireland Institute, and her brother says he may have at least subconsciously leaned on some of this expertise. 'We never had a formal sit-down or a chat, or I never really pulled on her for psychological support, per se. 'But she could well have been unknown to me, filtering that information through in conversations and stuff, but I was working with with one of her colleagues in Sport Ireland, Kate Kirby, in the last two years for psychology support, because it was just too much of a conflict of interest for me to be working with Jessie. 'If she was chatting to me and telling me this, that and the other. [I'd be inclined to say] 'Ah, go away Jess, will ya?'' Not that Barr has not had his major psychological hurdles to navigate. The year leading up to the 2016 Olympics is a prime example. Ireland's Thomas Barr after finishing fourth at the Rio Olympics. Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO The build-up had been ravaged by injury to the extent that little was expected of the Irish star in Rio. He now appreciates that all these woes turned out to be a blessing in disguise. 'People often ask: 'Are you disappointed with fourth? No, considering the context of that year, it was definitely my best year. 'I think that was one of the big bonuses of it — I went in with no target on my back. No one knew what I was at — including myself — so I just went on a wing and a prayer and ran free, almost. 'And so that helped from a psychological perspective, I went in with no burden. But even going forward, it helped me. 'I grew that year as an athlete, physically in one way, but psychologically and mentally, I grew a huge amount, and it matured me as an athlete to go through that. 'We always learn more from our failures or adversity than we do from when it all goes well. 'And there were times as well when I was injured in subsequent years, and it was never really as bad as Rio. So I thought: 'Oh, well, if I got through that, I can get through this.'' Dealing with injuries is far from the only challenge in getting to the level Barr ultimately reached. Financially, too, unless you are a Usain Bolt-esque phenomenon, sacrifices are paramount. Barr also enjoyed success as part of the Irish mixed relay team. Warren Grant / INPHO Warren Grant / INPHO / INPHO Had Barr instead pursued his degree in mechanical engineering, he would likely be in a much healthier financial position now. 'I'm not going to name this particular athlete, but last year, they were basically on the cusp of walking away from the sport, and saying: 'I can't keep doing this on the breadline.' And they were like: 'Right, this is my last one, last shot.' They managed to secure a sponsor, and since then, they have become a regular on the continental tour and the Diamond League this year. It flipped around that easily. 'But we have lost so many athletes through the cracks because of a lack of support, funding, sponsorship, and money. There's no two ways about it — it's difficult enough for somebody who's working at the moment full time, making money to afford rent, to afford living expenses, a car, etc. You put all of that into one box, and then you add on training camps, recovery, physio, everything else for an athlete just outside the system of getting support — it's where we start to lose athletes, even if they're living at home. It still is very, very difficult. 'I was lucky. My parents, when I was younger, were supportive, and they would have helped me out financially as well. I would have supplemented [athletics] with working part-time, weekends and summers as best I could, until I managed to make it to a position where I was starting to make money. 'But even in the latter years of my career, I started to come off of that sort of honey pot of money, and I was starting to scrimp again, and [was okay] only for the fact I put away a bit of money. I had to be frugal again, counting the pennies. [Otherwise] I wouldn't have survived through the end of my career as a full-time athlete; I would have had to work full time. A lot of our best athletes are on the breadline or working full-time unless they make it to that top 10 in the world, which is a big gap to try and bridge. 'So I think that's where what we see on Instagram and Twitter and everything is [deceptive]. And there are people under this false impression that all of our best athletes are full-time. They're making loads of money and are well looked after, but because of what we see on Instagram, it's all glamour or whatever. But when you look behind it, sometimes that's not the case. 'And I'm not saying that Athletics Ireland, Sport Ireland, etc, aren't doing what they can to help athletes. They're doing what they can with the budget they have, but it would be great if we could see that budget a little bit higher to spread that little bit farther down the chain for a couple of our younger athletes.' Barr's girlfriend Kelly McGrory is also a talented athlete. Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO Barr's latest challenge is dealing with life after athletics. At 32, he has to start all over again. Those aforementioned financial realities mean the Waterford native doesn't have the luxury of relaxing as an ex-Premier League footballer might. 'I'm doing a lot of school visits with Develop Me. They've all been paused for the summer, and I'm doing a bit of work with Timmy Crowe in Sports Equipment Ireland. 'And then my girlfriend Kelly [McGrory], her dad has an installation company up in Donegal, looking to set up down this neck of the woods. I'm trying to get the ball rolling on that as well. 'So there are a good few plates spinning. I'm handy with DIY and stuff, so helping friends out where I can with different projects.' McGrory herself is an accomplished athlete, a multiple-time Irish national champion in the 400-metre hurdles, who has represented the country at the 2023 World Athletics Championships and the 2024 Olympic Games in the women's 4×400 metres relay. In Paris, she ran the heats in the 4×400m relay before Adeleke replaced her in the final for the team that finished fourth. So, although Barr is no longer completely immersed in the sport as he once was, it is difficult to remove himself from it entirely for this reason. But, while his dinners are still 'healthy' on account of McGrory, there are other post-retirement treats Barr can avail of. 'Three friends and I went off snowboarding for a week in France, which I couldn't do when I was training. And I was on RTÉ with Joe Canning and Ray Goggins, on [the TV show] Uncharted, we went off to the Colombian rainforest, which is another opportunity that I would have had to say no to, but was right up my alley with all the extreme sports [I love]. And then only last weekend, I went with a few mates to a track in Kerry, drifting. 'There's a lot of that kind of stuff going on, keeping me going. And being able to tip away working in the garage on cars is my sort of thing. Now, it can be a huge form of stress if it doesn't go well, but it is sort of my distraction, my meditation.' Barr pictured competing at the National Senior Track and Field Championship last year. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO Barr says a mentoring rather than coaching role with Athletics Ireland or Sport Ireland would be of interest down the line as he seeks to 'use the profile and the experience that I have to try and better the sport going forward'. At present, though, he is comfortable being 'Thomas Barr, the retired athlete'. The fact that he has several interests outside of sport means his adaptation has been smoother than is typically the case. 'Even when I had four weeks off in the summer [as an athlete], I was itching to get going and take all of those other interests off pause. 'So I couldn't wait, in a lot of ways, to retire, to be able to get stuck back into those. I remember at the start of my career, I had all of these interests going on. And I remember being told: 'You need to give up all of those. You need to put all your time and energy into your sport.' 'And I was nearly sneaking around: 'I'll go jet skiing today, or I'll go out for a swim, or I'll go and do this, jumping off a cliff or whatever. 'Or not even that, but just going through college and stuff, and I did mechanical engineering, so it was very labour-intensive. 'A lot of people were trying to convince me I should be putting all my eggs into training. I was like: 'Well, I enjoy my course, and I want to study. That's what I came to Limerick to do.'' Barr says the mentality has now shifted to the point where pursuing outside interests is encouraged more so than was previously the case. And in general, this greater sense of freedom is palpable. 'Even just a simple thing of if you're up from Limerick and my mates are like: 'Oh, we're going to go for a pint. You want to go for a pint?' I'm like: 'Yeah, perfect.' 'If I'm in the pub, I do get recognised relatively regularly, but I don't mind. There are times, of course, when my social battery might be drained and I'm not up for it, but I know it's not going to last forever. 'And also, Ireland is so small as well, that if you're going to the same places all the time, people see you once or twice, and then it's like: 'Oh, yeah. That's just the runner fellow.' They become sick of you. 'And for all of my career, I thrived off other people getting enjoyment out of what I was doing, and now I'm meeting people who supported me. 'So it's nice to be able to give back as best I can if someone does want the photo, or if someone wants to shake my hand and say: 'Well done.' 'If I can reiterate and say thanks for the support, then I'm happy to do that.'
Irish Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Joe McCarthy scare prompts Lions to take action with Irish duo poised to return
Andy Farrell has called up Scotland lock Gregor Brown as cover for the British and Ireland Lions after Joe McCarthy suffered an injury in the opening Test victory over Australia. The Leinster and Ireland second row came off in the 43rd minute of the 27-19 win in Brisbane after suffering inflammation on the underside of his foot. 'Plantar fasciitis," explained Farrell. "It was niggling away at him there. We got him off. Hopefully we got him off in time.' McCarthy was making his Test debut for the Lions and is a doubt for the second Test in Melbourne, where the Lions are also playing the First Nation & Pasifika XV at Marvel Stadium on Tuesday night. Farrell is optimistic that Garry Ringrose, Mack Hansen and Blair Kinghorn will be available for that game after they were ruled out of the first Test. "Blair's doing well. Blair's doing pretty well, so we'll see," said Farrell. "Garry's good. Garry's going well. Hopefully they carry on that trajectory and could be available for Tuesday. Brown's Scottish team-mates Ewan Ashman and Rory Sutherland have also been called into the Lions squad as cover. Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts.
