Lions star makes feelings clear on Andy Farrell's management style
Ben Earl says he's desperate to pull on a Lions shirt again in 2029
Andy Farrell, the British & Irish Lions head coach
(Image:)
British and Irish Lions star Ben Earl has heralded the "life-changing experience" of pulling on the famous red jersey in Australia, and has heaped praise on boss Andy Farrell.
Earl played in two of the three Tests as the Lions earned a 2-1 series win over the Wallabies, starting the first and third Test from the bench.
While he didn't earn a place in the starting XV, and was omitted completely from the 23 for the second Test in Melbourne, the experience has clearly left a mark on the 27-year-old. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
Speaking to The Times, Earl heralded the tour Down Under as "completely transformative" to his career, adding that Farrell helped to bring the best out of him and his team-mates by ensuring they were "treated like adults".
"He has made me fully believe in how good I am," Earl explained when quizzed on the influence of the head coach.
"Every time he talks to the group, I'm like, 'I'll do anything for that man — I'm ready to play.'
Article continues below
"Every time he spoke to the group, I'm like, God, when the time comes, I'm ready to play for this bloke.
"I didn't really know fully his story. It's so cool. He's just got an unbelievable story and what an amazing coach.
"I've learnt so much off him. I've learnt so much off everyone. I've loved it.
"This has been the highlight of my life, certainly my rugby-playing life. I've made friends for life, memories for life. It showed me something completely different."
Having got a taste of the glory, and been a part of what were some wild celebrations in Sydney, Earl is understandably hoping for more.
Indeed, he admits he's already desperate to be back in a Lions shirt for the 2029 tour to New Zealand.
"I had no expectations coming on this tour, I have no expectations about going on the next tour," he added.
"But if someone said to me I could go on the next one, I'd do anything.
"Everyone talks about the aura around the badge, the honour — it has not got lost on me.
Article continues below
"It has not got lost on anyone, it has been amazing. I'd do anything to play for the Lions one last time."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
14 minutes ago
- Wales Online
Steve Tandy Q&A: There is no magic wand for Wales and I've grown since leaving
Steve Tandy Q&A: There is no magic wand for Wales and I've grown since leaving Steve Tandy held court with the Welsh press for the first time today Steve Tandy speaking to the media at the Principality Stadium (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd) Steve Tandy is confident Wales has the talent to become a competitive rugby nation one again. The 45-year-old held court with journalists for the first time since being appointed head coach of Wales today and was bullish about turning his home country around. Prior to a recent victory in Japan Wales had lost a record 18 Test matches on the bounce while the Welsh Rugby Union are considering cutting the number of professional clubs from four to three or even two. But Tandy is confident he has the tools to improve Welsh rugby. "Yeah, I believe in the talent we have in Wales to get us to where we want to go," he said. "Ultimately you want to have ambition. We want to have ambition to meet those targets but ultimately there's a process to get to that as well. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. "With a young group we have to nurture them, we have to connect to them and we have to be around them more than probably any time before because they are a young group." Article continues below Here is the full Q&A with Tandy which focuses on his plans for Wales, a potential reduction to two professional sides and putting together a new coaching team. How proud are you to be sat here as the new Wales head coach? "The privilege and the honour to be head coach of your national country is massive. "Being in the changing rooms is even better. I've got huge pride as a sense of family and what a great rugby nation it is." Why do you feel you are the right man for the job? "The biggest thing is they have seen me and through the process there was nothing but me in and around that. "I could generally be myself in the way I see it. "Me as a person I love coaching so much and the journey I've been on from my time at the Ospreys and going to the Waratahs. "That has given me an experience and the people I've come across has enabled me to be part of this opportunity to rebuild Welsh rugby with an exciting group of young players. "Like Dave said there's a path we are going to go on and a journey we are going to go on but through the experiences I've had over the other side of the world and through different environments will hold me in good stead to do that." How do you dig Wales out of the hole they are in? "I don't think it's a magic wand. "I think as Dave said it's about being connected and speaking to Abi and Dave around the vision of where we want to go to and how to get Wales back to where we want to be. "For me it's got to be collective and that goes back to what I believe in is collaborative and building systems but also engaging not only with the national team but the U20s programme, the regions and the communities. "So, that is what I feel. "It is a challenge but every nation has challenges as well but I think it's exciting with regards where we want to go to." The union have said they want to see Wales in the top five in the world by 2029. Have you been told that's the target? What's the target and have you got a squad of players that can get back to competing with the best in the world? "Yeah, I believe in the talent we have in Wales to get us to where we want to go. "Ultimately you want to have ambition. We want to have ambition to meet those targets but ultimately there's a process to get to that as well. "With a young group we have to nurture them, we have to connect to them and we have to be around them more than probably any time before because they are a young group. "But I think that is where the ambition we want to go to but ultimately we have to build performances incrementally. "From campaign to campaign we have to be better and looking at how we can build that performance through the exciting group we've got." What is your take on the future of Welsh rugby in terms of cutting regions? Do you agree with that? "I think for me coming in we've got to build something that suits us and not following anyone else. "Even Scotland they've got a programme but there's still challenges within any programme but I think we've got to build something that suits us. "I'm coming into it with my eyes wide open. "Ultimately we want Wales to be back where it belongs and where we want to be but actually there's a lot of work that goes in behind that. "Everyone in and around the union and the clubs will want Wales to be back being competitive. "How that looks I'm not quite sure yet but I know where the intention is to be." As a former Ospreys head coach you know how devastating it would be if they went or merged with the Scarlets? "I suppose that's the beauty of Wales around the pride and around the affinity to things but also we've got to be real around where we need to go to. "I think if we take everything aside because there'll be supporters not only from the regions but the clubs as well who will feel things in and around that. "But ultimately we need to focus on where we need to be. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free "I know it's hard because emotion plays a massive part around our game and it is one of our strengths but it has to be a focus of where we want to go to and how we align ourselves better to create something everyone can buy into but also for us to be competitive not just in the national game but right across Wales as a nation." When you left the Ospreys in 2018 could you ever have envisaged sitting where you are now? "No. I'm not so much a person who thinks too far ahead anyway irrelevant of the situation. "The one thing that has really driven me from the start is I want to be the best person and the best coach I can possibly be. "I am a genuine believer in that you can reflect and there is some growth around every moment whether it be a perceived negative moment of leaving the Ospreys but ultimately you've got choices about how you want to get better. "Are you going to sit there and blame or are you going to actually reflect? "I had some amazing time at the Ospreys and the older I get and the more experiences I learn from I can reflect how I could have been better in and around things. "But for me I never envisaged sitting back here but ultimately my drive has always been to be better and to be the best coach I can be for the players. "I need to make sure I'm immersed in the environment and the things around it that can really make a difference to the players. "That's always been at the centre of who I am. Did I ever think I'd be a Lions coach? No. "Did I ever think I'd coach the Waratahs? No. "But I think it's surprising what happens when you have the mindset to be better and to understand as well you have got blindspots and you have got things to work on. "I think that goes from playing days and coaching days. "All the hard work that's gone into that and I've been very very fortunate to have amazing people around me. "In every environment I've been to I've taken so much learning and gone out of my real comfort zone to Australia where the people and players took you for who you were. "It's really surprising if you are a good human being with good intentions who will come to help you and offer advice and shape you. "Also learning as a young family and moving away. That teaches you a lot of things in life as well which in turn makes you a better coach. "I loved my time at the Waratahs and I had an amazing time at Scotland. "Then becoming a Lions coach and being able to sit in this seat. "All those experiences on and off the field will give me the opportunity to show what I can do as a coach and really immerse myself around this rebuilding phase with Wales." Will you keep the nucleus of the backroom staff that went to Japan? 'Dave and I have started discussions. The boys in Japan did a great job to get that result, that's a credit to them because it was a short turnaround after a long season. 'There's a blank canvas and we have started having conversations about making sure we get the right people in the right roles, not just for the autumn but the longer term for the growth of us as a nation.' How different are you to the person that left the Ospreys? 'The way that I have been brought up and the way I am as a father, I know who I am as a person. 'I am very loyal and very clear. That served me really well with my time at the Ospreys. 'At the Ospreys, I knew that I had blind spots but I had the opportunity to go to Australia and see different cultures and the Aussie mindset. 'In Wales we are very good at seeing the worst of each other and not actually looking at what we could be. 'In one of my first sessions in Australia they dropped a few balls and in Wales we would probably be negative but they were 'imagine if we caught them how good we'd be'. 'It's opening up your mindset by being around different players, and as a defence coach being around brilliant attackers with the Ospreys and Wales, then in Australia, then combining things with the Lions and then the Scottish mindset is different. 'I've worked with great coaches – Darryl Gibson was a massive influence on me becoming a better teacher. 'The Lions was a whole new experience and Gregor and the environment with Scotland about growth and being better and learning. 'I believe that I have grown and I am definitely more mature; maybe I wanted to fight too many things early doors with the Ospreys. 'That was part of my growth and development, all of that enabled me to reflect on where you have come from. 'It doesn't stop because you have become national coach, I want to be a better coach tomorrow and keep growing in this environment. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. 'Dave and Abi are great when talking about putting the support around me because there is no magic wand, I want to create a belief around this inexperienced young group about where we can go to in the future.' What have you made of Wales in the Six Nations and in Japan? 'In the Six Nations when we played here a couple of years ago, with the crowd and the stadium there was a momentum shift. 'There is nothing like it, and I have been to some amazing places and amazing environments. 'We were up convincingly but something changed. I realised what a force that can be and how inspiring it can be for the players. 'They showed resilience in Japan, because they were tough conditions. Losing the first Test, that showed me there is character and resilience in the group because it became sticky in more ways than one at the back end of the second game. 'We understand where we are at, it was brilliant to get that result but now it's about incrementally building. 'There's not going to be a magic wand or a quick fix and then it all changes, but I do believe in the pathway. 'I believe in the younger boys who we can get to adapt and accelerate their learning by coaching, being around them and being really immersed in their lives and how they go about playing the game.' How difficult was it to leave Scotland? 'Leaving Scotland was really tough. There are not many jobs that I would have left Scotland for. 'Gregor has had a major influence on me. We are different people, I have a defence mindset and he had an attack mindset, so that shaped how we were going to defend. 'It opened up my mind and he was massive on getting out of your comfort zone and going to different places. 'For example, I went to Melbourne Storm and spent a month there, then you go to AFL. 'He was very much a curious person and always trying to think outside the box, building environments for boys to be themselves. 'The players were incredible to work with and then how Scotland made my family feel, with the support we got. 'It was tough [to leave] but that tells you about the excitement of this job. I am a passionate Welshman, I want Wales to be putting in performances that everyone can get behind.' Are you ready to be the figurehead of Welsh rugby? 'It does change, you have to lead. I will do that in my own way but you also have to grow people and connect them. Article continues below 'That's the exciting bit because from my journey I have seen that in action in lots of places. 'It is going to change but it's knowing that I have got great support around me, and when we go into assistant coaches and the regions, the more we connect it then it will be about more than one person.'
South Wales Argus
15 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
Gabriella Hill bringing historic link to Newmarket
She registered the third victory of her fledgling riding career when guiding Henry de Bromhead's Trubshaw to victory at Sligo on Wednesday, her first success in the famous silks once worn by Jonjo O'Neill when guiding the magnificent Dawn Run to victory in both the Champion Hurdle and Cheltenham Gold Cup in the 1980s. Hill's previous two winners had come for Jim Bolger and with her claim now reduced to 7lb, she will spread her wings by joining Stuart Williams on a trial basis in the heartland of British racing. Hill said: 'He's (Trubshaw) come on a lot in his last few runs and it's great to get a win in the family colours. Gabriella Hill after riding a winner for Jim Bolger (Brian Lawless/PA) 'I'm getting the boat over to Newmarket on Monday to join Stuart Williams. 'He has a good few horses and I'm looking forward to it.' Williams will be hoping Hill continues the promising start she has made to her career in Ireland and is looking forward to welcoming her to his Diomed Stables team. He added: 'She is going to come over for a trial for a couple of weeks and to see if she enjoys Newmarket and see how we get on together and then make a decision from there. 'She rode a winner on Wednesday night and hopefully she will enjoy being with us and stay for a while.'
The Herald Scotland
15 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Gabriella Hill bringing historic link to Newmarket
Hill's previous two winners had come for Jim Bolger and with her claim now reduced to 7lb, she will spread her wings by joining Stuart Williams on a trial basis in the heartland of British racing. Hill said: 'He's (Trubshaw) come on a lot in his last few runs and it's great to get a win in the family colours. Gabriella Hill after riding a winner for Jim Bolger (Brian Lawless/PA) 'I'm getting the boat over to Newmarket on Monday to join Stuart Williams. 'He has a good few horses and I'm looking forward to it.' Williams will be hoping Hill continues the promising start she has made to her career in Ireland and is looking forward to welcoming her to his Diomed Stables team. He added: 'She is going to come over for a trial for a couple of weeks and to see if she enjoys Newmarket and see how we get on together and then make a decision from there. 'She rode a winner on Wednesday night and hopefully she will enjoy being with us and stay for a while.'
