THE LIONS’ PROBLEM in the second half last weekend was “a dip in focus,” according to Andy Farrell.
They went 24-5 ahead early in the second half, essentially ending the game as a contest, then their intent dropped off.
Farrell’s bench couldn’t make much of an impact, so he has switched things up notably in that regard for the second Test in Melbourne.
In comes the highly experienced Owen Farrell in the number 22 shirt. The English playmaker never lacks intensity or focus. The Lions will look to him to be a big leader as they aim to finish strong.
Blair Kinghorn has been named in the number 23 shirt, covering the entire back three and adding some stardust to the matchday squad. Given that this will be his belated Lions Test debut, you can imagine the energy he will bring.
Ellis Genge, one of the Lions’ outstanding players on this tour, switches onto the bench despite another excellent performance as the starting loosehead in the first Test. To be fair, there’s not much between him and the world-class Andrew Porter. The big difference at present is Genge’s violent ball-carrying and it’s clear that Farrell is keen to use that venom from the bench to take things up a notch.
This is not a dropping, rather a change-up in roles. Porter and Genge were always going to make up a key combination for the Lions.
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Joe McCarthy’s foot injury means Ollie Chessum jumps into the starting second row, which resulted in an opening on the Lions’ bench. Scott Cummings put his hand up with a strong performance on Tuesday against the First Nations & Pasifika XV but James Ryan’s longstanding class sees him win out.
James Ryan will make his Lions Test debut off the bench. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
It has been a frustrating tour for the Leinster man so far, given that he was injured when he joined camp late after winning the URC. A yellow card on Tuesday was another moment of annoyance but Ryan brought plenty of physicality at ruck time.
Yet, Ryan hasn’t been selected based on anything he did against the FNP XV; it’s based on his world-class performances over the last few years with Ireland. Ryan has thrived with a slightly refined seek-and-destroy role in the second row with Ireland, even if he remains a top-class set-piece operator who is more than capable of running the Lions’ lineout if frontline caller Maro Itoje goes down.
The final fresh face on the Lions’ bench is Jac Morgan and though Farrell insisted that he doesn’t consider players’ nationality when selecting, it’s good that there’s a Welshman involved in this second Test.
Not that it’s a token pick; Morgan has had an impressive tour and was superb in a poor Wales team during the Six Nations. He should add more oomph on his Lions Test debut. With Rónan Kelleher, Will Stuart, and Alex Mitchell going again, it’s a nice Lions bench.
As for the three changes to his starting XV, there was really no decision to be made in the second row with McCarthy’s foot injury ruling him out. Chessum has earned a start.
Farrell’s choice to drop the two Scottish centres, Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones, for the Irish duo of Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose was no major surprise. He likes the Irish duo’s physicality.
It’s believed that Farrell had the Irish pairing pencilled in for the first Test before Ringrose suffered his initial head injury. Now, the fallout from that head injury has cruelly prevented Ringrose from getting his Lions Test debut. That means Jones gets another shot alongside Aki, who takes over from Tuipulotu.
Farrell mentioned Tuipulotu having a tight hamstring, but this was a selection decision first rather than the Scot being ruled out.
Ellis Genge will bring venomous impact from the bench. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
So it is that the Lions have nine Irish players in their starting XV, a new record after there were eight of them in last weekend’s side.
Of course, it was originally 10 Irish starters. Ringrose was told yesterday that he was starting. That would have equalled the 10 Welsh starters Warren Gatland picked for the third Test back in 2013.
It would have been 11 Irish starters this weekend had McCarthy also not been ruled out injured. And we’ll never know, but it might even have been 12 if Mack Hansen had been in the mix. Like McCarthy, he was ruled out with a foot injury.
It’s a fantastic achievement for Irish rugby to have nine starting Lions for a Test. It won’t go down well in all quarters, but it’s something that will surely spark great pride in Irish rugby.
There have been many Lions tours where only a small group of Irish players had important roles to play. It might not ever be this good again.
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9 Irish starters for the Lions could well have been 11 but for injury
THE LIONS’ PROBLEM in the second half last weekend was “a dip in focus,” according to Andy Farrell.
They went 24-5 ahead early in the second half, essentially ending the game as a contest, then their intent dropped off.
Farrell’s bench couldn’t make much of an impact, so he has switched things up notably in that regard for the second Test in Melbourne.
In comes the highly experienced Owen Farrell in the number 22 shirt. The English playmaker never lacks intensity or focus. The Lions will look to him to be a big leader as they aim to finish strong.
Blair Kinghorn has been named in the number 23 shirt, covering the entire back three and adding some stardust to the matchday squad. Given that this will be his belated Lions Test debut, you can imagine the energy he will bring.
Ellis Genge, one of the Lions’ outstanding players on this tour, switches onto the bench despite another excellent performance as the starting loosehead in the first Test. To be fair, there’s not much between him and the world-class Andrew Porter. The big difference at present is Genge’s violent ball-carrying and it’s clear that Farrell is keen to use that venom from the bench to take things up a notch.
This is not a dropping, rather a change-up in roles. Porter and Genge were always going to make up a key combination for the Lions.
Joe McCarthy’s foot injury means Ollie Chessum jumps into the starting second row, which resulted in an opening on the Lions’ bench. Scott Cummings put his hand up with a strong performance on Tuesday against the First Nations & Pasifika XV but James Ryan’s longstanding class sees him win out.
It has been a frustrating tour for the Leinster man so far, given that he was injured when he joined camp late after winning the URC. A yellow card on Tuesday was another moment of annoyance but Ryan brought plenty of physicality at ruck time.
Yet, Ryan hasn’t been selected based on anything he did against the FNP XV; it’s based on his world-class performances over the last few years with Ireland. Ryan has thrived with a slightly refined seek-and-destroy role in the second row with Ireland, even if he remains a top-class set-piece operator who is more than capable of running the Lions’ lineout if frontline caller Maro Itoje goes down.
The final fresh face on the Lions’ bench is Jac Morgan and though Farrell insisted that he doesn’t consider players’ nationality when selecting, it’s good that there’s a Welshman involved in this second Test.
Not that it’s a token pick; Morgan has had an impressive tour and was superb in a poor Wales team during the Six Nations. He should add more oomph on his Lions Test debut. With Rónan Kelleher, Will Stuart, and Alex Mitchell going again, it’s a nice Lions bench.
As for the three changes to his starting XV, there was really no decision to be made in the second row with McCarthy’s foot injury ruling him out. Chessum has earned a start.
Farrell’s choice to drop the two Scottish centres, Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones, for the Irish duo of Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose was no major surprise. He likes the Irish duo’s physicality.
It’s believed that Farrell had the Irish pairing pencilled in for the first Test before Ringrose suffered his initial head injury. Now, the fallout from that head injury has cruelly prevented Ringrose from getting his Lions Test debut. That means Jones gets another shot alongside Aki, who takes over from Tuipulotu.
Farrell mentioned Tuipulotu having a tight hamstring, but this was a selection decision first rather than the Scot being ruled out.
So it is that the Lions have nine Irish players in their starting XV, a new record after there were eight of them in last weekend’s side.
Of course, it was originally 10 Irish starters. Ringrose was told yesterday that he was starting. That would have equalled the 10 Welsh starters Warren Gatland picked for the third Test back in 2013.
It would have been 11 Irish starters this weekend had McCarthy also not been ruled out injured. And we’ll never know, but it might even have been 12 if Mack Hansen had been in the mix. Like McCarthy, he was ruled out with a foot injury.
It’s a fantastic achievement for Irish rugby to have nine starting Lions for a Test. It won’t go down well in all quarters, but it’s something that will surely spark great pride in Irish rugby.
There have been many Lions tours where only a small group of Irish players had important roles to play. It might not ever be this good again.
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andy farrell Impact Lions starting XV