Farrell happy to have Lions selection headaches for Wallabies Test
After an upset loss to Argentina in Dublin, then five straight wins since arriving in Australia, Farrell must now decide who makes his starting XV for the business end of the tour.
Plenty of players put their hand up on Saturday evening, with some tough calls now needed.
"That's exactly what we want, people putting their hands up," Farrell said.
"I just said to the players that selection is going to be unbelievably difficult.
"That's how it should be. I know that we've got a group that's as cohesive as it gets and they're all rowing together, no matter what, because it takes a squad to win a series," he added.
"The lads who get picked in the first Test, they'll be the lucky ones to represent the group, but they've also got to earn the right to keep that jersey for the second Test as well."
While a handful of positions will be locked in, injury worries have complicated matters.
Centre Garry Ringrose has been ruled out of the first Test after being placed in concussion protocols, while hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie is also a doubt after a head knock.
Ringrose and Irish teammate Bundee Aki were shaping as the likely midfield pair, but it now seems Scottish counterparts Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu may get the nod.
With concern lingering over a knee injury to Scot Blair Kinghorn, Ireland's Hugo Keenan did his chances no harm in Adelaide of starting at fullback against Australia.
Who wears the number seven shirt is another conundrum for Farrell, with Jac Morgan of Wales, England's Tom Curry and Ireland's Josh van der Flier all in the mix.
"When we get to Brisbane, we'll have a coaches' meeting like we always do and discuss how the week is going to unfold," said Farrell.
"We train Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. We'll get to a performance day on Wednesday and everyone will know where they're at."
© 2025 AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Starc claims 400th wicket as West Indies crumble
The hosts were set a victory target of 204 after the tourists lost their last four wickets within 45 minutes of the start of play to be dismissed for 121 in the second innings, their lowest Test innings total against the West Indies for 30 years. Alzarri Joseph led the effort with his best Test innings figures of five for 27 while Shamar Joseph claimed four for 34 to finish with 22 wickets in the series and go past the 50-wicket mark in Tests along the way. Everything else in this frenetic session faded into irrelevance though in the face of Starc's wrecking ball-type performance as he ended the brief session with figures of five for six off five overs. In his 100th Test, the left-armer made up for a luckless first innings, when he picked up just one wicket, by dismissing John Campbell with the first ball of the second innings and adding two more before victims – debutant Kevlon Anderson and Brandon King off successive balls - before the opening over was completed. His 400th wicket came at the start of his third over when the other opener, Mikyle Louis, was palpably leg-before. At that stage, the West Indies were five for four and Starc boasted the astonishing figures of four wickets for no runs. The 35-year-old eventually conceded two runs via the outside edge of Shai Hope's bat but then promptly trapped the same batsman leg before wicket for his fifth wicket. West Indies captain Roston Chase was then caught behind off Josh Hazlewood and at 11 for six, the West Indies' lowest-ever innings total of 47 – against England at the same venue in 2004 – looked a long way off. New Zealand's total of 26 in one innings back in 1955 is the record low in Test cricket. Justin Greaves and Alzarri Joseph will at least try to take the West Indies past those figures when they resume for what will surely be the final rites of another swift pink ball Test. Australia are without first-choice wicketkeeper Alex Carey, who suffered a concussion when hit on the helmet by Alzarri Joseph late on day two. Josh Inglis has replaced him behind the stumps.
France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
England captain Stokes wants to 'lie on my bed' after India nail-biter
The all-rounder was named player of the match after scoring 77 runs and taking five wickets across the Test, in addition to an important first-innings run out of Rishabh Pant, as England went 2-1 up in a five-match series. Stokes put himself through a particularly gruelling stint on Monday's final day by bowling 19.2 energy-sapping overs on his way to leading England's attack with a second-innings return of 3-48. "I'm not going to lie, I cannot wait to just lie on my bed for four days and then be raring to go for (next week's fourth Test at) Manchester," Stokes told reporters. His position as a fully fledged all-rounder had been called into question by repeated knee problems but Stokes showed his worth to England as a lively medium-pacer on Monday. Stokes took the key wicket of India opener KL Rahul before bouncing out Jasprit Bumrah when the tailender was offering stout support to Ravindra Jadeja (61 not out) as the all-rounder guided his side towards a target of 193 after a collapse. The tense chase only ended when last man Mohammed Siraj unluckily played on to spinner Shoaib Bashir. Stokes has a deserved reputation for taking key wickets, with the 34-year-old saying: "I have got some history of turning up in moments like that with the ball. I was pretty pumped. "Bowling to win a Test match for your country on day five... if that doesn't get you going or up for going out there and putting in for your team, I don't know what will. "The game was on the line. Today it was going to be my decision on when I stopped bowling." England's win came six years to the day since their 2019 Worl Cup final win at Lord's, with Stokes, Jofra Archer, Joe Root and Chris Woakes the four survivors from that stunning Super Over success. Archer bowled the most tense six balls in England's limited-overs history and the memory of that day inspired Stokes to open the attack with him on Monday in what was the Sussex express quick's first Test after more than four years of injury-induced exile. Stokes' decision was vindicated by Archer ripping out dangerman Pant's off stump before the 30-year-old held an excellent caught and bowled chance to dismiss Washington Sundar in front of another capacity crowd at the Home of Cricket. "That was genuinely the reason why we went with it, it felt right in my tummy that Jof was going to do something this morning to break the game open," said Stokes. India, all but beaten at 82-7 shortly before lunch, still took the match into the final session with Jadeja, who batted for nearly four-and-a-half hours, doing a superb job of marshalling the tourists' much-criticised tail. "I'm extremely proud, this is as close as a Test match can get," said India captain Shubman Gill. Jadeja, 36, has now scored four consecutive fifties this series, with Gill adding: "He's very experienced. He was batting brilliantly with the tail." India made it clear before the series that Bumrah, the world's top-ranked Test bowler, would only appear in three of the five matches in order to protect his fitness following a back injury. The outstanding fast bowler has now played two, having also featured in a five-wicket defeat in the series opener at Headingley before being rested from India's mammoth 336-run in the second Test at Edgbaston. Gill, asked if Bumrah would feature at Old Trafford next week, gave little way in replying: "You'll get to know soon."
France 24
4 hours ago
- France 24
England take 2-1 series lead over India with thrilling Lord's win
India were on the brink of defeat at 147-9, still needing a further 46 runs to reach a victory target of 193, when last man Mohammed Siraj joined Ravindra Jadeja in the middle. Nevertheless, the pair batted on until after tea on the final day to give India hope of an improbable victory. But with India eyeing a stunning success, off-spinner Shoaib Bashir, who had been off the field for much of the match with a finger injury, had the final say. As Siraj played defensively, the ball spun back past him to dislodge the leg bail with the faintest of touches to leave India 170 all out. As the England fielders celebrated, the fiery Siraj was crestfallen as was his partner Jadeja who was left stranded on 61 not out -- his fourth consecutive fifty this series -- after batting for nearly four-and-a-half hours. England captain Ben Stokes bowled two lengthy spells Monday on his way to innings figures of 3-48 in 24 overs, with fast bowler Jofra Archer -- in his first Test after more than four years of injury-induced exile -- taking 3-55 in 16. 'Dark places' Lively medium-pacer Stokes, whose career has been blighted by knee injuries, again proved his worth to England as a fully-fledged all-rounder. "I thought I had taken myself to some pretty dark places before but today was... If bowling to win a Test for your country doesn't get you up, get you excited, then I don't know what does," Stokes told Sky Sports. "The game was on the line and nothing was going to stop me bowling." Victory came exactly six years to the day since Stokes and Archer both starred in England's dramatic 2019 50-over World Cup final win over New Zealand at Lord's. Both bowlers made early breakthroughs Monday, with player-of-the match Stokes saying the anniversary was behind his decision to open the bowlig with Archer. "Jof played a big role in that and I just had one of those feelings he would do something special," said Stokes. The 30-year-old Archer added: "It was pretty hectic for the first game back. I probably bowled a few more overs than I thought I would have but every single one mattered today so I'm not too fussed about it." India were all but beaten at 112-8 when tailender Jasprit Bumrah came out to bat immediately after lunch. But Jadeja and Bumrah kept England at bay with a stubborn stand of 35 in 22 overs. "I think the position in the morning, to make a comeback like this was tremendous from Ravindra Jadeja and the lower order," said India captain Shubman Gill. Bumrah, defying a run of four successive noughts in Test cricket, defended gamely while making five in 54 balls only for his innings to end when he top-edged a pull off Stokes to substitute fielder Sam Cook at mid-on. India were now 147-9 -- a position that meant tea was delayed by 30 minutes. But Jadeja, who overturned an lbw decision given against him on 26, went to fifty when a flashing cut off Stokes flew over the slips for the left-hander's fourth four in 150 balls faced. Shortly after tea, Archer struck Siraj a painful blow on the shoulder and it was not long before he fell to Bashir. This match became a second-innings shoot-out after both teams made 387 in their first innings. England then posted 192 before India slumped to 58-4 when Stokes bowled nightwatchman Akash Deep with what became the last ball of Sunday's play. From 71-4 on Monday, the match swung England's way once more as India lost three wickets for 11 runs in collapsing to 82-7. Rishabh Pant -- who only came into bat on Monday following Deep's departure -- charged down the pitch to drive Archer for a typically aggressive four. But two balls later Archer, repeatedly topping the 90 mph mark, bowled the dangerman for nine with a superb full-length delivery that clipped the top of off stump. India were looking to KL Rahul to anchor their chase after the opener's first-innings hundred. But he had added just six runs to his overnight 33 when he was lbw on review to Stokes. Archer, who made his Test debut at Lord's in 2019, then reduced India to 82-7 when he held a sharp one-handed caught and bowled chance to dismiss Washington Sundar for a duck.
