Andy Farrell has shown his hand and Lions Test jerseys are this team's to lose

Telegraph

17 hours ago

What seems certain is that the bench places remain up for grabs and, intriguingly, Henry Pollock has the chance to stake a claim. Marcus Smith's inclusion provides flexibility on the bench but Fin Smith or perhaps even Owen Farrell will have a chance to push for a bench place on Saturday.
Stephen Larkham's side will once again provide the stiffest competition of the non-Test matches; they were the best-performing Australian side in Super Rugby, reaching the semi-finals of the competition before losing to the Canterbury Chiefs.
The context is perfect for Farrell. He has been using the tour matches to stress-test his players with the hope of identifying those who thrive in this 'best of the best' environment, forging combinations and a game plan.
The Lions have surprised many by the amount of rugby they have played since their first game against Argentina in Dublin. Gatland's three tours were characterised by a much more simple game plan, in recognition of the challenge in bringing together players from four countries to weld a team. Doing the simple things better than anyone else was the mantra that served the tourists well.
Tourists need to tighten up
Farrell's pod-based attacking system in Ireland has taken years to establish, and the question remains whether it is possible to replicate that in a matter of weeks, which is why it feels like the time has come for the game to tighten up on Wednesday.
In the aftermath of the underwhelming victory over the New South Wales Waratahs in Sydney on Saturday, Farrell spoke about his side 'over-playing'.
'We are good when we are direct, we made line breaks the whole time when we were direct and it didn't matter if we were playing off nine or off 10 but when we were direct we were good,' said Farrell. 'It is not just pigeonholing yourself, it is what is in front of your face you have got to adapt to. But when the ball is slow enough because of the pressure at the breakdown, you can't keep shovelling the ball out wide and expecting to get on the front foot.'
If the Lions have been using these tour matches for glorified preparation, the time has come for a commanding display. What will have disappointed Farrell is that the players did not adapt to what was in front of them against the Waratahs. They are given a template game plan, but the players have the independence to react.
Brumbies clash offers chance for revenge
When the Lions moved the ball to the edges and the Waratahs attempted to take away their space, someone should have grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and been more direct. It was largely left to Alex Mitchell, but when he did go, too often the support did not react quickly enough. Lessons will have been learnt.
Those who have questioned Owen Farrell's call-up underestimate the impact of experience, leadership and a strong voice capable of driving standards.
It was a young Farrell who was on hand to kick two late penalties after coming off the bench 12 years ago against the Brumbies. They still lost 14-12, and Farrell junior will no doubt underscore the size of the challenge facing Lions. While the home sides have drawn on the emotional edge of playing against the Lions, the tourists can expound their own revenge narrative this week.
The clock is ticking for this Lions side. This is the time for the tourists to bare their teeth.