Behind the scenes in Perth
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The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
‘He doesn't try to be intimidating. He just is': Lions reveal how Andy Farrell makes the magic happen
Sitting in a car wash with the windows jammed open would be marginally drier than walking the streets of Sydney this week. The forecast rain stayed away for the decisive second Test in Melbourne, but the outlook for the Accor Stadium on Saturday is properly damp. Not that the Lions are overly bothered as they seek to squeeze every last drop of joy out of their tour of Australia. From the moment they met up the mantra of this party has been based on showing the absolute best of themselves in the Test matches and winning the series 3-0. Nothing has changed in that regard, as reflected in Farrell's largely rinse‑and-repeat final-Test selection, with the exception of Blair Kinghorn and James Ryan being elevated to the starting XV and a forward-loaded 6-2 bench split. As anyone with knowledge of Farrell's competitive instincts will be aware, the chances of him easing off the downcast Wallabies at this late juncture were always on the nonexistent side of slim. A final flourish is not always easily achieved at the end of a long, punishing season, but, in this case, all the most influential Lions are fit and hungry and motivation is not a problem. Aside from enjoying each other's company, the players have also responded well to Farrell's management style, among the primary reasons why this large tour party has stayed fully united. 'He's been really good at getting everyone closer,' said the Scotland centre Huw Jones, set to become a member of a prestigious Lions club by starting all three Tests. 'I don't really know how he's done it, but it's worked. 'I wasn't really sure what to expect from the outside. He's very calm and relaxed a lot of the time, [but] when he's on, he's pretty intense. When we're training he's always on and doesn't miss a beat. He sees everything and he's prepared to call you out in the middle of the session if something's not good enough. 'There's no hiding place, his standards are so high. He's very clear about what he wants and how he wants you to do it. He's been brilliant and it's great to be part of the squad under that leadership.' Jones, who will again partner Bundee Aki in midfield, was also good value on the subject of Farrell's presence and rugby instincts. 'He doesn't need to try to be intimidating, he just is. Some people just have that presence. He's obviously massive. Without meaning to be, he's just an intimidating person. Not in a bad way, but in a good way that commands respect. When he speaks everyone is listening. I'm yet to hear him say something I don't agree with, he reads the game so well. 'If you are walking, haven't quite got into position or if you are not talking to someone he will pick it up … and you will know about it. It is about not accepting anything average or mediocre you may be able to get away with at your club. We are here because we were selected as being the best of our international teams. You have to show up and prove that every day.' A resounding final performance, accordingly, is the objective of all concerned, Farrell included. When he says winning 3-0 'would mean the world to us' he is reiterating his belief that aiming high is vital, in sport and life. Sign up to The Breakdown The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed after newsletter promotion 'I never think you should shy away from shooting for the stars because you might end up on the moon,' he said. 'That's pretty good as well. 'What's there to be shy about? Players, coaches, staff, Lions fans, everyone … they all want to win every game. You can't be frightened of that.' Just as telling, perhaps, is that even the 16 unlucky individuals – 12 original selections and four replacements – who have had no involvement in the Tests have felt as much a part of campaign as the 27 who have. 'It touches you,' said Farrell. 'The ones that were celebrating most last Saturday were the ones who hadn't put the shirt on. That says it all.' All that remains, then, is for the chosen few to go out and apply the coup de grace. In the first half in Brisbane and the second half in Melbourne these Lions have shown what they can do; not so much at other times. On this occasion, Farrell would settle for 70 minutes of excellence that, on the evidence to date, should be enough: 'We know what we're capable of in all sorts of areas, so getting close to eight or nine out of 10 in all of them would be somewhere close to where we want to be.' Jones feels much the same as he prepares for his own final fling. 'We've probably not played to our full capacity yet. That's been the message this week: to try and have our best performance of the tour. To do it in the last game, to win 3-0 – that would be amazing. That's where the motivation is.' It takes more than a spot of rain to dilute the resolve of Farrell and co.
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Blair Kinghorn and James Ryan to start in final Lions Test against Australia
Blair Kinghorn and James Ryan have been named to start for the British & Irish Lions in their third Test against the Wallabies in Sydney on Saturday as Andy Farrell's side seek to wrap up a series whitewash. Kinghorn is selected on the left wing with James Lowe dropping out of the 23 while Ryan replaces Ollie Chessum, who has been named on the bench. Kinghorn impressed as a replacement in the last-gasp victory in Melbourne last week and though he is a fullback by trade, he often appears on the wing for Toulouse. Ryan also caught the eye off the bench at the MCG and comes into the starting XV alongside Maro Itoje, who continues as captain. Ryan is one of nine Ireland players selected along with Tadhg Furlong who will equal Alun Wyn Jones in starting nine consecutive Tests for the Lions. Itoje will also appear in his ninth straight Lions Test, having made his debut off the bench in New Zealand in 2017. Lowe pays the price for indifferent form in the first two Tests but Farrell has resisted making wholesale changes to his side which will bid to become the first to complete a series whitewash since 1927 and the first to go unbeaten since 1974. It means that Sione Tuipulotu again misses out with Bundee Aki and Huw Jones keeping their places in midfield. It is unclear whether Joe McCarthy was deemed fit to play, having missed the second Test with a foot injury, but Ryan is rewarded for his form of late after a slow start to the tour. On the bench, Owen Farrell is again selected as part of a 6-2 split with Ben Earl also recalled, having missed out in Melbourne. Up front Furlong is joined by Leinster teammates Dan Sheehan and Andrew Porter again while Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry and Jack Conan keep their places in the back-row. Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell are again the halfbacks while Tommy Freeman stays on the right wing and Hugo Keenan is once more named at fullback after his last-minute try sealed the series win last week. On the bench, Ellis Genge, Ronan Kelleher and Will Stuart again provide front-row cover while Chessum, Jac Morgan and Earl complete the forwards contingent. Joining Farrell among the backs is Alex Mitchell, who has now been named in every squad on the tour. Sign up to The Breakdown The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed after newsletter promotion 'We have put ourselves in a great position to finish this Tour with our best performance to date and create our own piece of history,' Andy Farrell said. 'Last weekend's Test match in Melbourne was an incredible spectacle and illustrated how special Lions Tours are and what they mean to both the players and the supporters. We are expecting another epic battle this weekend against a Wallaby side that showed their quality last week.'
Times
4 hours ago
- Times
Louis Rees-Zammit returns to rugby after bringing NFL quest to end
Louis Rees-Zammit will return to rugby this summer, ending his quest to make it in the NFL with immediate effect. The Times understands that Rees-Zammit has not yet signed a contract with a rugby club, but this announcement will have put several on alert. 'It was a great experience, but he's coming back to his real sport,' a source said. Rees-Zammit traded rugby for American football in January 2024, before that year's Six Nations, when he left the Gallagher Prem side Gloucester and joined the NFL's International Player Pathway scheme. He signed for the Kansas City Chiefs to play as a running back in March last year and made a handful of appearances in pre-season, but was released during the summer. The Jacksonville Jaguars picked Rees-Zammit up in August 2024, where he was listed as a wide receiver, but he failed to play a full-blown NFL match. On Thursday he announced he would be quitting American football to return to rugby. 'It's been a great experience but it's time to come home,' Rees-Zammit wrote on social media. 'I've decided that this is the best time to make this decision to give myself time to get everything in place for next season. There's only one thing that's on my mind, that's coming back to rugby and doing what I do best. I can't explain how excited I am!' The Welshman is still only 24 years old, is able to sign for any team across the world and will be eligible to play for his country. Any Welsh player with fewer than 25 caps is ineligible for international selection if they play outside of the country but Rees-Zammit won 32 Wales caps before he left rugby. That means the new Wales head coach, Steve Tandy, would be able to select Rees-Zammit for November's Autumn Nations Series matches against Argentina, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa. Despite not playing the sport for almost 18 months, Rees-Zammit will be in high demand from rugby clubs across Europe. Before he left Gloucester, Rees-Zammit earned about £225,000 a year. Some top clubs in the Prem may find it difficult to sign him at this late stage and fit his salary into the £6.4million cap, but not all teams pay up to the top limit. Racing 92, the French Top 14 side, were interested in signing Rees-Zammit before he left rugby. Clubs in France have more money to play with, as their cap sits at £9.25million (€10.7million). Rees-Zammit started his youth career at Cardiff Rugby, as his family lives in the capital city, but moved to Hartpury College across the border when he was 16, as he felt he would have more success developing a rugby career there. During the 2018-19 season he became Gloucester's youngest ever league player at 18 years 70 days, and then the youngest player to score a hat-trick in the league in December 2019. In 2021 he was part of the British & Irish Lions squad that toured South Africa, but did not play in a Test match against the Springboks. That year he was part of the Welsh side that won the Six Nations title. His final match for Wales was the 2023 World Cup quarter-final against Argentina in Marseille, a 29-17 defeat. Rees-Zammit always intended to come back to rugby within the next year to try to make the 2027 World Cup. Rees-Zammit was part of the Jaguars' 17-man practice squad last season, but was not elevated to the main roster to play. Practice squad players can be elevated up to three times during a season but the former rugby star was not called upon. He suffered a back injury this summer, which scuppered his chances of making the early pre-season fixtures in August. Speaking earlier this year Rees-Zammit said: 'International players get probably two to three years to make it in the NFL. So I wanted to do it at a time where I maybe could come back to rugby. I'm 24 now, probably got one to two more years to try and make it depending on how this year goes. I'll be 25, 26 when I go back to rugby. I like to think I can still play at the highest level.'
