
Farrell considers options for 'biggest game of our lives'
The Keenan or Kinghorn conundrum
When it gets to this stage of the tour, with one win required to take the series, you start reading the tea leaves on everything Farrell says. The coach was critical of aspects of his team in the 24-19 win against a fired-up First Nations and Pasifika XV on Tuesday night."We started to play the game a little bit like an exhibition match and it was never going to be like that," he said."We weren't earning the right to play. There's an allure of space that we thought was there and it wasn't there. We kept playing out the back and big wide passes and getting hit behind the gain-line and making it tough for ourselves."Given that Blair Kinghorn went wide in an exhibition-type way in the first half - and got intercepted twice - the feeling was that Farrell was talking about his full-back.Scotland's Kinghorn, a class act, was deemed to be one decent night away from taking over from Hugo Keenan at 15 in the second Test, with the Irishman not having had his best performance in Brisbane.What now? What about the exhibition barb? Farrell confused things further when he said that Kinghorn was very "assured". Two intercepts flew in the face of that.That said, Kinghorn was just back from injury and has a brilliant body of work with Toulouse all season. So, Keenan or Kinghorn at 15? It's a tough call. Maybe Keenan starts and Kinghorn is on the bench as cover for wing and full-back.
Ringrose and Tuipulotu centre partnership?
Wings Tommy Freeman and James Lowe played below par in the first Test but it would be a surprise if either lost their place. The centres? Now that's an area of intrigue.Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu formed a formidable partnership in Brisbane. Maybe Jones could have been more clinical at times, but he played well. Garry Ringrose is now fit again, though. Does that change things? Very possibly, given that Ringrose looked to be in the box-seat at 13 before getting concussed against the Brumbies and missing out on the first Test.Ireland's Ringrose spoke glowingly of the Scottish centres on Tuesday night. "What has impressed me most is their skill at the line," he said. "What is expected of centres is to be able to carry when it's tight, play through the line when it's on, then pull the trigger."Those two are exceptional at that. It's been brilliant training against them, training with them, picking their brains on decision-making based on what they see. "From playing against Scotland and watching them play for Glasgow, it's unreal to actually work with them and have those conversations. They're unbelievably intelligent, skillful, physical and both of them are all-court in what they do."High praise, but Jones and Tuipulotu would have eulogies for Ringrose, too. It would run the risk of an uprising in Scotland, but a Ringrose-Tuipulotu partnership on Saturday is a very real prospect.It would be brutal on Jones, but this is an unforgiving landscape. We're talking of players of supreme class. Ringrose is arguably that bit more of a rounded player than Jones. It's fine margins.
What changes would McCarthy's absence bring?
With McCarthy likely to be ruled out, who comes in? Tadhg Beirne might step up into the second row with Ollie Chessum coming in at six. Again, it's the tea leaves talking. Farrell doesn't give much away.The bench is an area of significant interest. Same front-row cover, for sure. If Chessum is promoted, Farrell needs another lock and line-out jumper. James Ryan has almost been the forgotten man of this tour so far, but he was going around crushing people on Tuesday.He was taken off after 54 minutes. Why? For fear that having been yellow-carded already he might be heading for a second one? Or to rest him? There's also the case of Scott Cummings whose tour began badly against the Western Force in Perth.Since then, Cummings has grown steadily. He's physical, busy and impressive. He put in an admirable performance at the Marvel Stadium, but he played 80 minutes. If Farrell had him in mind for a bench spot on Saturday wouldn't he have spared him a full game of attrition against such a hard-hitting opponent?You watched the sheer power and might of some of the First Nations and Pasifika XV and wondered what Joe Schmidt is doing in not picking them in his Wallabies team.Taniela Tupou at prop, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto at lock, Seru Uru and Charlie Gamble in the back row were immense and caused the Lions a world of trouble. Yes, it was the second-string Lions but power is power and Schmidt's boys lacked it in Brisbane. Maybe the great man has miscalculated in bypassing some gigantic options under his nose.When Jac Morgan was taken off after 51 minutes the implication was that he had done enough and that he was likely to be on the bench for the second Test. Wales, perhaps, are about to have some Lions joy at last. Josh van der Flier and Henry Pollock both went the full 80 minutes. Probably not a good sign.
Has Farrell done enough to make the bench?
What of Owen Farrell? There was a near comedic moment in the aftermath of Tuesday's game when Farrell Sr was asked to comment on Farrell Jr's performance."How do you think you played?" father asked son."He asked you…" son told father.Farrell the son played well in what was his first 80-minute game since 27 April and only his third 80 minutes since last October. If it's Farrell versus Bundee Aki for a bench spot, who wins? Farrell can cover 10 and 12, but Aki is more battle-hardened. It's a conundrum. Not a bad one either.Whatever way Farrell and his coaches slice it, it still looks highly decent, it still looks like a side more than capable of finishing the job in a stunning setting on Saturday night. The personnel might change a tad from week to week, but the outcome, says the smart money, will remain the same.

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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Gill and Rahul dig in to lead India fightback after Stokes hits England ton
As England walked off for lunch on the fourth day at Old Trafford they could have been forgiven for thinking their opponents were beaten. India had endured the kind of morning that usually dictates a couple of paracetamol and the curtains being redrawn, such was the pummelling Ben Stokes delivered with bat in hand. It was not just Stokes, either. After his first Test century for two years drove England to 669 all out – 141 from 198 balls – the tourists were tasked with negotiating 15 minutes before the break – a negotiation that could scarcely have gone worse had a couple of contestants from The Apprentice been handling it. Chris Woakes conjured up two wickets in two balls before India had made a dent in the whopping 311-run deficit. And yet by stumps this fourth Test had taken on a different complexion courtesy of a couple of hugely determined performances from Shubman Gill and KL Rahul. Resisting for two wicketless sessions that forced the Saturday crowd to make their own fun, they steered India to 174 for two from 63 overs. Though still 137 runs behind, there is a chance of rain on Sunday and the draw that seemed so unlikely is now possible. Kudos must first go to the two set batters, not least after 157 overs in the field. Though a decent surface in the main, enough deliveries were shooting low and yet at no point did their focus waver. Both do obduracy in the most elegant ways, with Gill's low-slung hands still caressing the ball and Rahul all technical excellence. Reaching 78 and 87 not out respectively, two of India's senior pros had delivered a message to those lower down. But it also hinted at some of England's shortcomings when Stokes, their standout performer with the ball, is out of action. The supposed cramps that forced him off the field on day three may well be something more sinister going by the sight of him clutching his upper leg a couple of times. After his five-wicket haul in the first innings, all Stokes could do this time was run through the tactical playbook and wait patiently. Woakes was the pick overall and his new-ball burst was something to behold. First went Yashasvi Jaiswal, squared up and edging to slip as Joe Root clung on at the second attempt. Then came a dismissal that Gautam Gambhir could relate to, Sai Sudharsan's attempted leave on his first ball catching the bat and also flying to the cordon. Think back to the India head coach's dismissal at the Oval in 2014, even if he would sooner forget it. But after the hat-trick ball to Gill was survived, the chief threat came from Liam Dawson trying to trap the two right-handers on the back foot with a bit of skid, only for the ball to be met with enough willow each time. And it was Dawson who put down the one genuine chance to materialise during an afternoon that seemed to just disappear. Gill sliced hard to backward point when on 46, only for the ball to burst through the all-rounder's hands. Had it stuck, India would have been 74 for three and Brydon Carse's account in the match would have been opened. Jofra Archer, his fellow quick, got the new ball to talk initially but a couple impassioned appeals for lbw were declined. This five-match epic is asking plenty of both sets of fast bowlers – even those who joined halfway – and India's attack was certainly relieved to get off the park before lunch. Sign up to The Spin Subscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week's action after newsletter promotion Stokes had given them the runaround, both through the completion of his 14th Test century and the 125 runs that were trowelled on to a pile already bulging from Root's historic 150. Not since 2014 had India shipped a 600-plus total in a Test match, while Jasprit Bumrah's runs column running into three figures was simply a first. If the return of Stokes as a force with the ball has arguably been the biggest plus for England in this series then this innings was not far behind. Resuming on 77, Stokes opened up with a couple of imperious fours off Mohammed Siraj and then tipped past three figures with a flick down leg. Out came the celebration not seen for a good while – that crooked finger salute and a look to the sky to honour his late father, Ged. This was the first time an England captain has scored a century and claimed a five-wicket haul in the same Test match and soon the afterburners were lit as he and Carse (47 from 54 balls) ransacked 95 runs for the ninth wicket. When Stokes monstered Washington Sundar for a straight six it took him past 7,000 Test runs, something only Garfield Sobers and Jacques Kallis had previously combined with 200-plus wickets. But unless Stokes is able to resume bowling on day five, or others step up in his absence, India could yet wriggle free and head to the Oval with a chance of squaring the series. Gill, previously kept quiet for three innings, is also ominously back in the groove.


The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Ben Stokes finds reward from risking fitness with resurgent century for England
An evening's rest didn't change much. Most of India's morning was of the hands-on-hips variety, an homage to a crestfallen Dwight Schrute listening to Everybody Hurts, 135 overs in the field to blame. Jasprit Bumrah found space to detonate the top of Liam Dawson's off-stump but Brydon Carse – half-centurion at Lord's, beefing up England's tail at 10 – remained at ease. This was a welcome situation to end the drought. Ben Stokes had a mixed Friday, sliding into Joe Root's passenger seat, taking his customary blow to the box on 13, then retiring hurt with leg cramp on 66. He returned before the close, finishing unbeaten on 77 to guarantee Old Trafford's attention when play resumed on Saturday. It had been nearly two years since his last century in any game. There was a bit of tension on 99. He found air with an attempted cover drive off Bumrah, faced three dots off Washington Sundar and one off Siraj. But a glance down the leg side for four prompted a look to the skies and an arm round Carse as he waved the bat. With it he became the fourth Englishman to hit a hundred and take a five-wicket haul in the same Test, the kind of stat you would have expected him to already hold, Ian Botham having done it five times. Stokes has had it tough with the bat over the past couple of years, underlined by the absence of a Test hundred since his pyrotechnics in the Ashes. But while he isn't the miracle man anymore, the drop in form has never been severe. Seven matches in Asia, conditions he'd never mastered on previous tours, have contributed to the quiet period, as have his hamstring troubles, ruling him out of four Tests last year. Five innings at home against West Indies last summer returned three half-centuries and there were several starts in this series before Old Trafford (including a peculiar run of three consecutive second-innings 33s). His 141 here was not one of the classics, having come out to bat when his side trailed India by nine runs. Even if there was a touch of magic with a one-two off Sundar – six down the ground was immediately followed by an outrageous reverse sweep to the ropes – it came after England had crossed 600, the first time they had done so at home in 14 years. What the knock did was add to Stokes' story this summer, that of the resurgent player. Much of the past three years has been about his position as captain, how he directs England in the field and instructs the team to play. When he has missed matches, how Ollie Pope goes as the stand-in leader has felt more pressing than the runs and wickets lost in his absence. But Stokes has lived up to his post on X in December after tearing his left hamstring, promising to 'fuck some shit up' when he returned. He is still very much a cricketer, not just a fount of wisdom at mid-off or coach with whites on. He has found nip and danger under the sun, taking more wickets than anyone else in this series. He has the score now, too. But being a 34-year-old fast-bowling all-rounder brings significant risk. The last of Botham's ton-and-five-wicket-haul combos was at the age of 28. On Friday evening Pope acknowledged Stokes' batting retirement as the result of how much he had pushed his body in recent weeks. How he would move in the field after facing 198 deliveries was the next issue. When Chris Woakes took two in two in his opening over, it felt a bit irrelevant, and continued to do so when Jofra Archer found late swing into Shubman Gill after lunch. Sign up to The Spin Subscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week's action after newsletter promotion Then came Gill and KL Rahul's resistance, and the question of when Stokes would bowl, this being the perfect situation for his right-arm heat. On came Carse, then Dawson, and Root got it to twirl, too. Stokes stuck to the director's chair, resuming his role of late, his fitness unclear, every walk to the stumps a tease, his cap still on as he discussed tactics with the bowler. 'He's a bit stiff and sore,' revealed Marcus Trescothick, England's batting coach, at the end of play, no certainty offered on whether Stokes will bowl on the final day. 'He's had quite a big workload in the last few weeks. And then batting in the first innings, he was getting quite a bit of cramp. Hoping with another night's rest and a bit more physio work overnight he'll be back in and doing a bit tomorrow. 'You'll probably see Joe Root bowl a little bit more if he's not available, but let's wait and see. Hopefully, fingers crossed, it will be OK by tomorrow.' Stokes has rediscovered his rhythm, but the pain remains.


BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
England unsure if Stokes will bowl on fifth day
England will "wait and see" whether captain Ben Stokes is fit enough to bowl when they push for victory over India on the final day of the fourth Test at Old Trafford, says assistant coach Marcus taking five wickets in the first innings, Stokes did not bowl as India dug in to reach 174-2 at the end of day four, still 137 runs behind. Trescothick said that was because Stokes, who has been dogged by injury issues in recent years and had to retire hurt while batting with cramp on day three, was "a bit stiff and sore"."We are still hopeful he will be better tomorrow and come back out, be a bit looser and ready to go again," Trescothick told BBC Test Match Special."We will assess it overnight and see what happens." Asked about Stokes' fitness on Friday evening, vice-captain Ollie Pope said Stokes was "good to go". Though the talismanic all-rounder batted on in the morning session to score 141 - his first Test century for two years - that he did not bring himself into the attack and that Trescothick cast doubt on him playing a part on Sunday is of appeared weary in the field, often bending over with his hands on his knees and feeling his left hamstring at one stage in the side looked on course for victory when Chris Woakes dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan but, in batting out the remaining 62.1 overs of the day, captain Shubman Gill and opener KL Rahul have given India hope of batting out the final day for a draw and ensuring they head to The Oval 2-1 down with one match to play in the series."Ben Stokes chased one to deep extra cover, he held his hamstring, that was visible for everyone to see," former England captain Michael Vaughan said."We'll wait and see. Ben is a super-human at times. He was probably hoping today that they would get the wickets and he wasn't going to be required. "It doesn't half tell you how important he is to the attack." Stokes had surgery on his left hamstring in January, having torn the same muscle last summer and had a knee operation in November 2023. He only returned to bowling in late May during the one-off Test against Stokes has been England's most consistent seamer this summer. His 16 wickets in the series are the most on either the 129 overs has has bowled is his biggest workload in a single series, despite Trescothick saying after the second hamstring tear in December he may have to manage his bowling workloads. There are also only three days off before the fifth Test next suggested England's management still needs to find a way to protect Stokes, who will be seeking to help England regain the Ashes in Australia later in the year."You have to manage everyone - him no different because of his impact as captain of the team you want him playing as many games as possible,"If we can find a way [to limit his overs], of course it will benefit. The more games he will string together as captain and leader the better that will be for the team."India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant will bat if required despite his broken foot.