Latest news with #Ireland-dominated
Daily Mail
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
WORLD OF RUGBY: Flying George Ford should be a shoo-in for Lions duty - he is redefining the concept of a bolter and Andy Farrell has a dilemma among his other fly-halves, writes CHRIS FOY
Brian O'Driscoll is on board now and that is highly significant. The word of BOD surely carries a lot of weight, especially in the ears of an Ireland-dominated Lions coaching team. This is about George Ford, who is creating a very public headache for Andy Farrell and his assistants. The veteran playmaker probably wasn't on their radar at all a month ago, but he is making himself impossible to ignore now, ahead of the selection announcement on May 8, for the tour of Australia.
Telegraph
24-03-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
England coach Richard Wigglesworth to join Lions tour after Andy Farrell reprieve
England's strong finish to their Six Nations Championship has been rewarded with a late call-up to the British and Irish Lions coaching team for Richard Wigglesworth. Wigglesworth, who is England's senior assistant coach, will join Andy Farrell's coaching team for the tour of Australia this summer in what is expected to be a largely Irish-dominated panel. Telegraph Sport revealed last week that Ireland interim head coach Simon Easterby had been recruited by Farrell, with John Fogarty and Andrew Goodman also frontrunners to feature in an Ireland-dominated Lions squad. Easterby previously acted as Farrell's defence coach but has also served as forwards coach. England were not expected to provide any coaches after head coach Steve Borthwick revealed that none of his assistants had been approached following his side's victory over Wales in Cardiff nine days ago. However, it is understood that Farrell made contact with the 41-year-old Wigglesworth following the record victory, which secured a second-place finish for England in the Six Nations, their highest since 2020. It is not yet clear what position Wigglesworth will take up with the Lions, though his current role with England is to run the side's attack. The former England scrum-half played under Farrell during their Saracens days when the Ireland head coach had just started his coaching career. Wigglesworth, who joined the club from Sale Sharks in 2010 the year Farrell took up coaching, also played under his tenure with England until the 2015 Rugby World Cup exit. Farrell will unveil his coaching team on Wednesday. He has already appointed the Ireland strength and conditioning head Aled Walters and former Ireland performance director David Nucifora. Speaking after England's victory over Wales, Borthwick said: 'Andy hasn't talked about any of the coaching team at this stage,' Borthwick said. 'I'd love them to have the opportunity. I'd love as many of the management team as possible to have that. 'That Lions experience I had in 2017 was one of the best, if not the best, experience I've had in my life. Working with the best players from four different countries, working with incredible coaches against top-class opposition. I developed and learnt so much as a coach in that period, it was brilliant for me and accelerated my coaching, so I'd love as many other people from the England group to be in there as possible, and I'll be fully supportive of them all.'
Telegraph
16-03-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Andy Farrell to pick Irish-dominated Lions coaching team despite underwhelming Six Nations
Andy Farrell will turn to an Ireland-dominated Lions coaching team, Telegraph Sport understands, with no England assistants likely to make the tour to Australia. Former Lions captain Paul O'Connell and John Fogarty are the leading contenders for the roles of forwards and scrum coaches respectively, while Johnny Sexton is in the running to become attack coach. The former Ireland fly-half came on board with the Irish set-up in a part-time coaching and mentoring role in the autumn, focusing on the fly-halves, while Andrew Goodman is the Ireland attack coach. Sources have indicated to Telegraph Sport that Farrell will rely on his tried and trusted lieutenants in the Ireland set-up despite their underwhelming finish to the Six Nations Championship. Contracts will be finalised this coming week with Farrell formally unveiling his coaching team for the three-Test Lions series against the Wallabies on March 26. The role of Lions defence coach remains up for grabs. Simon Easterby fills that role under Farrell but it is unclear if his commitments as Ireland interim head coach would preclude him from going to Australia. Ireland will need a head figure for their tour to Georgia and Portugal this summer with O'Connell a possible alternative should Easterby receive a summons. Scotland defence coach Steve Tandy was the Lions defence coach on the 2021 tour to South Africa and received excellent feedback from the squad. It is understood that France Rugby is not willing to release Farrell's former Wigan team-mate Shaun Edwards, who said that he would swim to Australia, with the Six Nations champions set to tour New Zealand this summer. Despite claiming the Triple Crown, Ireland finished below England, who scored more points and conceded fewer points than the other home nations. Attack coach Richard Wigglesworth was a team-mate of Farrell's during their Saracens playing days, but England head coach Steve Borthwick indicated he did not expect any of his immediate team to be going to Australia. 'Andy hasn't talked about any of the coaching team at this stage,' Borthwick said. 'I'd love them to have the opportunity. I'd love as many of the management team as possible to have that. That Lions experience I had in 2017 was one of the best, if not the best, experience I've had in my life. Working with the best players from four different countries, working with incredible coaches against top-class opposition. I developed and learned so much as a coach in that period, it was brilliant for me and accelerated my coaching, so I'd love as many other people from the England group to be in there as possible, and I'll be fully supportive of them all.' It is understood that there will be a greater English representation in the wider backroom team even with Aled Walters, David Nucifora and Vinny Hammond on board already as head of athletic performance, general manager and head of analysis respectively. It is not uncommon for Lions head coaches to rely upon familiar faces. On the 2021 tour, Warren Gatland turned to Wales assistants Robin McBryde and Rob Howley as well as Welshman Steve Tandy. However, it is understood Gatland did not see eye to eye with Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend, who was brought in as attack coach, emphasising the importance of alignment within the brains trust. As the Lions chief executive Ben Calveley told Telegraph Sport last summer, Farrell has been given completely free rein to pick any coach or player he wants without needing to ensure a balanced representation of the four home nations. 'It will be absolutely merit-based, this is about being the 'best of the best' and we have to fiercely protect that,' Calveley said. 'Things like quotas would not be in line with that mentality.' That applies to players too and Farrell was present in Cardiff to witness England run riot in their record 68-14 defeat of Wales. Borthwick is hoping that England could be set for a bumper representation when Farrell announces his squad on May 8 with players such as Ben Curry, Will Stuart and Fin Smith putting themselves in the frame having started the Championship as outside shots. 'I think it's an exciting time because we want as many of our England players on the Lions tour as possible,' Borthwick said. 'The good thing here is, Andy's got some great headaches on it. He's got some brilliantly tough decisions to make because there's so many good players around. But it would benefit English rugby to have as many on that Lions tour as possible. 'I have done the exercise about 10 times, where I've sat there and written out which players I think will go – and I end up with a different number each time, because it depends on who's playing well. Ollie Lawrence was one of those, so I was really disappointed for him that he's not going to have that opportunity on this Lions tour. I just want as many as possible, and hopefully, hopefully, there aren't any more injuries to any players.' Should a sizeable English contingent be selected then that would open opportunities for other players to step up with England facing fixtures against a France XV, Argentina and the USA this summer. That could include Racing 92 winger Henry Arundell, who is available for selection again after signing for Bath, while Borthwick challenged those on the fringes of the main squad to keep knocking on the door. 'We've got our players outside that squad, ringing me in, texting me, wanting opportunities, and so there will be opportunities for those players,' Borthwick said. 'What I'd say to them is play super well for their clubs between now and the end of the season. 'My coaches will start planning on Thursday this week about the eventualities if a player leaves for the Lions, so we have two players in every position where you have that depth. And so those players will need to play super well for their clubs, and now push the case for selection.'
