Lions 'in good place' but wary of wounded Wallabies in second Test
The battle-hardened tourists won the first Test in Brisbane on Saturday 27-19, and on the face of it have little to fear from Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground next weekend.
But Farrell made clear there would be no complacency, after the Lions' intensity dropped over the closing 20 minutes at Suncorp Stadium.
"We are playing against a wounded animal, at a sold-out MCG, and we know what to expect," he told reporters, with the Wallabies needing to win to keep the three-Test series alive.
"There is plenty to work on, but we're in a good place going into game two."
On their last visit in 2013, the Lions also won the opener in Brisbane but Australia bounced back to clinch the second Test 16-15 at Melbourne.
While Saturday's scoreline shows an eight-point winning margin, the Lions essentially had the match wrapped up early in the second-half when a converted Dan Sheehan try moved them 24-5 clear.
But they then failed to deliver a killer blow and allowed the plucky hosts to score two more converted tries and claw back into the contest.
Warren Gatland, who coached the Lions on their 2013 tour, said he was surprised that Farrell made such early second-half substitutions which he felt interrupted their flow.
"I thought they might keep those players on a little bit longer just as they were tidying things up," he told Sky Sports. "They probably lost a little bit of cohesion and momentum in doing that."
Farrell acknowledged the team lost some edge as the second-half progressed.
"We started well, controlled the game, and the back row was immense. It was a talking point all week and they stood up," said Farrell.
"Our physicality was spot on in the first-half, but we lacked a bit of discipline in the second and that slowed things down."
Loose forwards Tadhg Beirne and Tom Curry were outstanding, in particular, but it was the half-back combination of Scotland's Finn Russell and Irishman Jamison Gibson-Park who pulled the strings.
When the pair was humming, the Lions were always a danger.
"The combination of Gibson-Park and Russell really controlled the game and didn't get bored of doing the right thing," said the coach.
The Lions have now won six-from-six on their Australian tour and next meet a First Nations and Pasifika XV at Melbourne's Docklands Stadium on Tuesday.
Farrell is set to field a B team while insisting second Test slots remain up for grabs. In reality, it will need something special to dislodge anyone from the MCG starting side. - AFP PIC
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
8 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Enough is enough, Cklamovski wants to move on
KUALA LUMPUR: Peter Cklamovski had wanted to move on, but the issue just refused to die down, much to the chagrin of the national football team head coach. And Cklamovski is not amused with another round of claims that Malaysia were facing a FIFA ban over alleged misuse of naturalised heritage players. Cklamovski admitted at a press conference today that he's getting tired over the matter. It all started when Harimau Malaya fielded five new heritage players: Jon Irazabal, Joao Figueiredo, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca and Facundo Garces in the 4-0 win over Vietnam in an Asia Cup qualifier in Bukit Jalil on June 10. This led to allegations of illegal naturalisation by the FA of Malaysia (FAM), and Cklamovski refuted it numerous times. He said the win over Vietnam should fill Malaysian fans with pride and get all to stand behind the national team. But yet the heritage players issue continues to ignite debate. The 46-year-old Australian said: "I'm getting tired of it, to be honest. It's been weeks since the Vietnam game, but the talks over the players have never stopped. I have moved on from the match and am looking forward to our upcoming matches. "We had the documentation issued by the Malaysian government and FIFA giving the clearance before the Vietnam match. I don't know what more can be done to prove the legitimacy of the players. "Machuca missed his son's birth to play for the national team and Holgado took a long flight and went back almost immediately after the match to return to his club... I don't know how much more these players can show that they want to play for Malaysia. "Indonesia had been naturalising players before us and I have read that Vietnam had amended their law to allow naturalisation. "The national players are playing for Malaysia, no matter where they are from and they need the support from Malaysians." Cklamovski added that Malaysia will play friendlies against Singapore and Palestine on Sept 4 and Sept 8 in Kuala Lumpur respectively. However, fans have questioned FAM over Malaysia's withdrawal (due to logistical and player availability issues) from the Central Asian Football Association Nations Cup from Aug 29-Sept 8. "We will be playing two quality opponents in September, it will be a derby match against Singapore and another tough match against a top 100 side Palestine," said Cklamovski. "There's plenty of rivalry between Malaysia and Singapore so it will be a good test for the players, and Palestine have qualified for the 2027 Asian Cup and had a good run in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. "These two matches will be a good test for the team before we face Laos in our Asia Cup qualifier in October. We hope to get the best players to join the training camp," said Cklamovski.
The Sun
9 hours ago
- The Sun
Harimau Malaya to face Singapore, Palestine in September friendlies
HARIMAU Malaya will face Singapore and Palestine in two high-profile international friendlies this September, as confirmed by head coach Peter Cklamovski. The matches are part of Malaysia's preparations for their upcoming 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers clash against Laos in October. The Causeway Derby against Singapore (FIFA ranking 159) is scheduled for September 4, while the match against Palestine (FIFA ranking 98) will take place on September 8. Although the venues are yet to be finalised, Cklamovski hopes both games will be held at Bukit Jalil National Stadium. The Australian coach emphasised that these fixtures were strategically chosen to test the squad's development following their impressive 4-0 victory over Vietnam in June. 'Singapore's a good team. The game will have lots of emotions. It's a derby, and we look forward to it. Rankings don't matter—it's going to be a tough game,' he said. Regarding Palestine, Cklamovski noted their qualification for the 2027 Asian Cup as a key challenge. 'They're a top-100 team, so it's a great opportunity to measure our progress. We want to play our football and make Malaysians proud,' he added during a media session. Despite the recent win over Vietnam, the coach stressed the need for continuous improvement. 'It was a special night, but it's just three points. Now, we focus on getting better in September,' he said. Currently leading Group F in the Asian Cup Qualifiers with six points, Malaysia will next face Laos (FIFA ranking 185) on October 9 and 14. Vietnam trails with three points, while Laos and Nepal (FIFA ranking 176) complete the group standings. – Bernama
Barnama
10 hours ago
- Barnama
Harimau Malaya Can Expect Stern Tests In Sept Friendlies Against Singapore, Palestine
PETALING JAYA, July 23 (Bernama) -- Harimau Malaya will take on Singapore and Palestine in two Tier 1 international football friendlies in September. National team head coach Peter Cklamovski said the 'Causeway Derby' against world number 159 Singapore will be on Sept 4, while the match against world number 98 Palestine will be on Sept 8. Even though the venue is not confirmed yet, Cklamovski hopes both matches, which will be part of Malaysia's preparations for their third Group F match of the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers against Laos in October, will be played at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil. bootstrap slideshow The Australian tactician said both teams were carefully chosen for their unique attributes and the kind of test they provide for the squad's continued development following the emphatic 4-0 victory over Vietnam in their second Group F match of the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers on the home ground last month. 'Singapore's a good team. The game will have (lots of) emotions. It's a derby and we look forward to it. It's not so much about rankings, where they place. It's going to be a tough game. 'Palestine has qualified for the 2027 Asian Cup and is ranked in the top 100. So, it's a challenge for us to go up against a good opponent and see where we stand against them. We want to put our mark on the game, play our football, put a team out there that will make Malaysians proud and excited,' he said during a coffee session with the media here today. As both matches are set to bring added value in terms of player development and tactical growth, Cklamovski has made it clear that their main objective is to win both games. He also said that despite the national team's 4-0 win over Vietnam in June, the focus now is to keep building and improving during the upcoming friendlies. 'Yes, we played well, we scored some good goals, we could have scored more. Positive night, special night at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
