It feels like the Lions are walking into a Wallabies ambush in Brisbane
The British and Irish Lions head coach got a pleasant surprise when he spotted Gorden Tallis, an icon of Australian rugby league.
The pair had many battles in their playing days. Farrell v Tallis. The 'Man of Steel' vs the 'Raging Bull'. Andy Farrell had a chance encounter with an old sparring partner when he was walking the streets of Brisbane earlier this week. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Tallis is fondly remembered for his storming displays in State of Origin, the gripping three-game slugfest between New South Wales and Queensland. You'll find plenty of his impressive feats on YouTube, namely an iconic tackle on Brett Hodgon. It's well worth a watch.
Queensland, as it happens, recently secured an unlikely 2-1 series win against their bitter foes, despite being widely written off as one of the worst teams in the state's illustrious history.
A worrying omen for the highly-fancied Lions perhaps? Gorden Tallis is fondly remembered for his storming displays in State of Origin. Pic:'He used to say that everyone used to talk about Queensland being underdogs,' Farrell told a packed press conference on Thursday, recalling his impromptu meeting with Tallis.
'He said 'we never, ever saw it that way,' and Australia will be exactly the same.' Gorden Tallis locks horns with Andy Farrell and Tony Smith in 2000. Pic: Phil Cole/ALLSPORT
Right there is a timely reminder of the sporting mentality of this nation.
Rugby union has fallen on hard times in Australia. In truth, the game has been in a steady decline since 2003, Jonny Wilkinson's drop goal in the World Cup final proving something of a flashpoint.
Rugby league and AFL have stormed ahead. The 52,000-capacity Suncorp Stadium will be packed to the rafters and the atmosphere will be electric before kick-off. Jonny Wilkinson nails a drop goal during the 2003 Rugby World Cup final. Pic: Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images
The Lions have brought a legion of travelling supporters and the cash injection from this series is thought to be in the region of 250 million Australian dollars for the local economy.
Yet there is a sense that this series has not grabbed the wider Australian public. The Lions is scarcely mentioned in news bulletins, radio or in newspaper articles across the country.
For these Wallabies players, these looming games against the much-vaunted tourists isn't just about pride. There is far more on the line for the hosts than bragging rights. There is far more on the line for the hosts than bragging rights. Pic: INPHO/Tom Maher
If Australia suffer a 3-0 whitewash, it would be disastrous for the professional game in their country. It would be another nail in rugby union's coffin in Oz.
The next few weeks is a golden opportunity to reinvigorate this sport. An upset today or, dare they dream, a series win would be shot of life for the entire organisation, especially with a home World Cup in 2027.
It should serve as a powerful motivator for the home side.
On paper, the Lions should win this opening Test comfortably. Farrell's team is stacked with proven, Test match animals across a stellar matchday 23. If you want to get a real sense of the quality of this Lions side, look at the players who failed to make the cut: Pierre Schoeman, James Ryan, Josh van der Flier, Jac Morgan, Fin Smith and Owen Farrell. The injured trio of Blair Kinghorn, Mack Hansen and Garry Ringrose are all set to come back into contention for the second game in Melbourne, too. That's quite the playing roster. On paper, the Lions should win this opening Test comfortably. Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan
Australia, meanwhile, are without the destructive Will Skelton and powerful flanker Rob Valetini, arguably their best player for the past two years. They have rolled the dice at No10, with the 22-year-old Tom Lynagh starting his first international game. Nick Champion de Crespigny is another debutant on the blindside flank. They look a weight class below the Lions in the tight five.
But Test rugby can bring out another side in previously unheralded players. Especially Australians. This is a proud rugby nation. This is a country which has won two World Cups and finished second in two other tournaments.
The Lions are overwhelming favourites but history is not on their side. The 2013 series win in Australia remains the only triumph in the professional era. This tours don't come easy.
And it's not like the Wallabies don't have quality in their ranks. In Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, they have a genuine superstar. The former rugby league prodigy has taken the 15-man game by storm. Like Israel Folau, another cross-code convert, did in 2013, he is set to have a huge impact in this series. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is a genuine superstar. Pic:The hosts have genuine gas in the wide channels, with Tom Wright and Max Jorgensen offering so much threat. Jeremy Williams and Nick Frost are two seriously underrated locks while Fraser McReight is a top-class openside flanker who will attack the breakdown with ferocity all evening. The Wallabies captain and No8 Harry Wilson is another character who doesn't get enough plaudits. There's plenty of impact on the bench with Ulster-bound prop Angus Bell, Tom Hooper, Carlo Tizzano, Tate McDermott and Andrew Kellaway all primed to make a big impact.
And then there's the Joe Schmidt factor. Known for his obsessive work ethic, forensic analysis and intense methods during his time with Leinster and Ireland, the Kiwi has cut a more relaxed figure in this gig. Schmidt answered an SOS to the Wallabies a few years back after Eddie Jones' disastrous second stint in the job.
He has galvanised the entire operation and it's a credit to the New Zealander that that this team looks competitive ahead of this series. Schmidt is a serious operator. He transformed Irish rugby. He brought Leinster to another level and continued in the same vein when the national tame came calling for his services in 2013. Joe Schmidt is known for his obsessive work ethic, forensic analysis and intense methods. Pic: INPHO/Tom Maher
Some of the revisionism of his trophy-laden tenure in Ireland has jarred. It must have stung Schmidt as well. It feels like a lot of the praise which has been heaped on Farrell, his successor, has come at the expense of Schmidt. He has already helped mastermind an All Blacks win against Ireland in a 2023 World Cup quarter-final. No doubt, he has a masterplan to down the Lions in the coming weeks.
If the Wallabies come out firing, knock the Lions off their rhythm and make this a dogfight, then all bets are off. Expect a few trademark Schmidt strike moves and a few moments of genius from Suaalii.
Lest we forget, it's not like the Lions have looked invincible either. Tadhg Furlong, Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, James Lowe and Hugo Keenan have been picked on pedigree and not recent form. No doubt, the Pumas defeat in Dublin sowed a few seeds of doubt as well.
The closer we get to this Test opener in Brisbane, the more it feels like the Lions are walking into an ambush. Farrell got an early warning this week. Another Schmidt masterclass is on the cards.
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