logo
Calling for a 'leader' mid-Tour is selection absurdity - Only One F in Foley

Calling for a 'leader' mid-Tour is selection absurdity - Only One F in Foley

Irish Daily Mirror13 hours ago
The decisions will have to come hard and fast from Andy Farrell from herein as the reality begins to sink in.
He has learned little from assembly, travel and four games to here - and some of what has learned has had to be revised.
Imagine spending your time with the certainty that the earth was flat only to find out the gang of geeks at the back of the class - Pythagoras, Permenides, Aristotle and Eratosthenes - were right all along.
Turns out they weren't geeks after all; they were 'Greeks', you'd misheard, got that wrong too.
This Lions squad assembled in Dublin 28 days ago (June 9th), played and lost against a highly motivated, world-ranked fifth opposition, Argentina, 13 days later and lost...
Left for Australia the next day (June 21st) and set about on what was hoped would be a learning curve, aimed at sorting out Test selection, with facile wins over ready-up sides Force (June 28) and Reds (July 2nd).
Only to slide down a greasy pole with an unnervingly listless display against Waratahs yesterday, another team they were supposed to have a handy training spin against.
The 'Tahs did Farrell few favours, not least in allowing a few players back into the Test selection mix; last Friday night there was a list of eight players who were not going to be involved in the first Test, they had played and weren't up to scratch.
Then came the game in Sydney and four of those played themselves back into contention in face of almost everyone else in the starting Xv looking like they were there after a night on the town.
Charlie Gamble, the Waratahs no7, was the real Man of the Match no matter how desperate a fawning Lions supporting media wanted to give the TV bauble to a red shirt.
Moreover the 29 year-old uncapped journeyman's (59 Waratahs appearances 2020-) moustache - which could probably store enough food for a 20-day outback walkabout, maybe even fight off wild animals - was the second best thing about the game.
And given Farrell had gone into the game with a 'list' of eight players who had dropped off into the dirt-tracked category, Marcus Smith, Huw Jones, Pierre Schoeman, Scott Cummins, James Ryan, Tom Curry, Ben Earls...
Plus Ben White, called in for the unfortunate Tomas Williams, and who to be fair doesn't have any blame attached to being the eighth.
So imagine the confusion as the done-to-there jig-saw gets tipped over as Cummins and Jones (along with Alex Mitchell) looked the best Lions on the pitch, Schoeman wins four scrum penalties from eight scrums and Earls rehabilitates himself as a contender for no8.
If there was a notional first XV and matchday bench in place after the squad was announced it was always going to take a buffeting once the games began - no plan survives first contact.
But three games in and having weeded out eight players, when it comes to four games in there are still 34 contenders and, embarrassingly, a player who has been called in has leap-frogged into contention before kicking a ball.
Hello, my name is Owen Farrell: I can play out-half and first-centre or if deployed on the bench could be considered a utility centre or full-back too.
Hello Owen, my name is Mr Every Lions Fan: Is it true that despite landing and assuming the role of the 40th player chosen you are now considered a real option because you have a 'stern' face...
That the Lions management, who left you out of initial calculations, have brought you in when a player who does not play your position got injured - have looked at the raggle-taggle gypsy band to here and decried a lack of leadership?
Consider this: Those who selected the Lions squad in the first place would have worked off a set list of criteria, sat down at no doubt exhaustive meetings and discussed with the boss - who remember had six months away from his day job with Ireland - who should travel.
Skillsets, ability, form, durability, x-factorability, adaptability in terms of playing more than one position, disciplinary history, leadership qualities would have been in the mix.
And that last one has ever so clearly been misjudged. There may be a very good reason for it too. It is, after all, hard to measure from a different foxhole.
So when Chief of Staff Farrell (Ireland) along with Simon Easterby (Ireland), John Fogarty (Ireland), Andrew Goodman (Ireland), Aled Walters (Ireland), David Nucifora (IRFU 2014-24) and, undoubtedly, Johnny Sexton (Ireland) sat down to discuss this...
The two most junior ranking coaches John Dalziel (Scotland) who is the lineout specialist and Richard Wigglesworth (England) who was appointed to his current England role in February 2023 can't have had much sway.
Farrell is not wrong in bringing in his son Owen and he wouldn't have needed testimony from any of the other eight to make the decision.
But this whole episode also asks questions of just how unlucky Scotland captain Rory Darge, Wales's Taulupe Faletau, Northampton's captain George Furbank, Bath's captain Ben Spencer or even Toulouse's Jack Willis were, not to have their leadership traits on tour.
Scotland captain Darge and Faletau played in the 2025 Six Nations; Furbank and Spencer are the captains at their respective clubs and played in the November series for England while the latter starred in England's outstanding 35-12 win over Argentina in Buenos Aires at the weekend.
European Cup winner Willis is ineligible to play for England under RFU instructions as he plays abroad.
There are two theories as to what happens next in Australia as there are two games to come, against Brumbies (July 9th, this Wednesday) and against an Australia/New Zealand XV (July 12th) before the First Test (July 19th).
The Brumbies were the best performing Australian 2025 Super Rugby club, making the semi-finals; the ANZAC selection up, will be a big step the toughest proposition to here; the move to Test rugby against the Wallabies will be on a different landing altogether.
The Lions can either show their Test hand against Brumbies, which seems to be a majority opinion among observers.
Or has Ronan O'Gara got it right when he says keep the potential Test side for the tougher of the two games, against Aus/NZ.
This, he stressed, beds them down into a familiar international Monday-Friday week, working as they would in the Six Nations for a Saturday game.
ATM the Lions first Test XV looks: Kinghorn; Freeman, Jones, Tuipulotu, Lowe; Russell, Gibson-Park; Genge, Sheehan, Stuart/Furlong, Itoje (capt), McCarthy, Beirne/Chessum, van der Flier/Morgan, Conan.
If the side was picked before the side travelled Furlong, Beirne and JVDF get the call; if Farrell is to be swayed by the run to here they are under pressure.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

'Not in my wildest dreams could I imagine I'd be back here with the Lions'
'Not in my wildest dreams could I imagine I'd be back here with the Lions'

The 42

time34 minutes ago

  • The 42

'Not in my wildest dreams could I imagine I'd be back here with the Lions'

FOUR YEARS AFTER leaving his hometown to move to the other side of the world and join Connacht, Mack Hansen is back in Canberra as a Lion. The Ireland wing grew up dreaming about playing for the Brumbies and achieved that, but now he's home to play against them. Hansen has been named on the Lions' bench for Wednesday's warm-up clash at Gio Stadium. He's been dealing with people 'coming out of the woodwork' looking for tickets for the last few weeks and reckons there will be about 30 of his family and friends at the game. 'It's incredible, it's a bit of a pinch-me moment,' said Hansen. 'Not in my wildest dreams could I imagine I would be back here playing for the Lions. It's very special.' It has been a remarkable few years for Hansen, who has become a key man for Ireland under Andy Farrell. Now his Lions boss, Farrell picked out Hansen's work ethic as being key to his journey from Canberra to a Lions jersey. 'Do you know what? For everything that you see of Mack, personality-wise, he is a brilliant professional,' said Farrell. Mack Hansen during his time with the Brumbies. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo 'He studies the game, he tries to understand it from all sorts of different ways and he's a massive contributor in trying to help the team get better as well and that's because he does his homework. 'So wherever he's got in that space of time is because of the hard work that you guys don't see behind the scenes. He really cares about his preparation, he's constantly inquisitive in regards to asking the right questions to want to get better and he's a proper team player. 'When you're speaking up quite a bit, which he actually does speak up quite a bit, it makes you take on a little bit more responsibility and he definitely does that.' Advertisement Hansen was at the last Lions game against the Brumbies in 2013, watching on from the stands as the Aussie side recorded an historic victory over the tourists. The strength of the Lions' selection this time around means that prospect seems less likely but the memories remain strong for Hansen. 'I was there that day and I know how much it meant to everyone around here and how much they will be getting up for it,' he said. He will be playing against many familiar faces, including the Lonergan brothers, Lachlan and Ryan, who remain two of Hansen's best friends. 'It's going to be interesting,' said Hansen. 'I don't know how I'm going to feel until I'm out on the field and it won't be until afterwards that I'll be able to take it all in. Mack Hansen in Canberra today. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO 'It's hard to explain how I'm going to feel now. I'm not too sure, to be honest with you. As I said, it's going to be a great moment for myself and my family. Playing against my friends is going to be cool.' Hansen's fellow Canberra native Finlay Bealham missed out on selection for this game, and even though Hansen knows it will be special, he underlines that there is a bigger match ahead that he wants to be involved in. This tour of all about being in the Test 23 and Hansen knows this is a chance to further his case. Hansen is loving the Lions experience, impressing against the Western Force before having a somewhat less impactful game versus the Waratahs last Saturday. 'I think on the weekend it was a little bit tougher, but I think as a group we're gelling really well and everybody's really starting to buy in and really getting the way that we want to flow in attack and the way that we want to stop teams in defence,' said Hansen. 'Everyone's just really starting to bond as a unit and I think that's shown on the field.'

Eight Irish starters named in Lions team to face Brumbies in Canberra
Eight Irish starters named in Lions team to face Brumbies in Canberra

The Journal

time2 hours ago

  • The Journal

Eight Irish starters named in Lions team to face Brumbies in Canberra

The 42 Reports from Canberra LIONS HEAD COACH Andy Farrell has named eight Irish players in his strong starting XV for Wednesday's warm-up clash with the Brumbies [KO 11am Irish time, Sky Sports]. This game is being viewed as a Test rehearsal for the Lions, with their opening meeting against Australia 10 days later. There is one more warm-up game ahead on Saturday against an AUNZ Invitational team, but this Brumbies clash has increasingly looked like the last opportunity for Farrell to run most of his Test combinations. Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell will resume their halfback pairing at Gio Stadium, while Irish centres Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose start together. Scotland's Blair Kinghorn gets his first Lions start at fullback, making up the back three with James Lowe and Tommy Freeman. Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong are picked in the front row with Ellis Genge, while Ireland's Joe McCarthy partners captain Maro Itoje in the second row. Jack Conan is at the heart of a back row that is completed by English pair Tom Curry and Ollie Chessum, the latter at blindside. Advertisement There are four more Irish players on the bench in Rónan Kelleher, Andrew Porter, Josh van der Flier and Mack Hansen, who will play in his hometown of Canberra. Interestingly, the Lions bench includes two back rows in van der Flier and Henry Pollock despite Farrell going for a 5/3 split, with Chessum providing second row cover from within the starting XV. Lions (v Brumbies): 15. Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse/Scotland) 14. Tommy Freeman (Northampton/England) 13. Garry Ringrose (Leinster/Ireland) 12. Bundee Aki (Connacht/Ireland) 11. James Lowe (Leinster/Ireland) 10. Finn Russell (Bath/Scotland) 9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster/Ireland) 1. Ellis Genge (Bristol/England) 2. Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Ireland) 3. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Ireland) 4. Maro Itoje (Saracens/England) (captain) 5. Joe McCarthy (Leinster/Ireland) 6. Ollie Chessum (Leicester/England) 7. Tom Curry (Sale/England) 8. Jack Conan (Leinster/Ireland) Replacements : 16. Rónan Kelleher (Leinster/Ireland) 17. Andrew Porter (Leinster/Ireland) 18. Will Stuart (Bath/England) 19. Josh van der Flier (Leinster/Ireland) 20. Henry Pollock (Northampton/England) 21. Alex Mitchell (Northampton/England) 22. Marcus Smith (Harlequins/ England) 23. Mack Hansen (Connacht/Ireland) Written by Murray Kinsella and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won't find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women's sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here .

AUNZ finalise squad for Lions clash, Brumbies name ex-Connacht wing
AUNZ finalise squad for Lions clash, Brumbies name ex-Connacht wing

The 42

time4 hours ago

  • The 42

AUNZ finalise squad for Lions clash, Brumbies name ex-Connacht wing

LES KISS HAS confirmed his final AUNZ Invitational XV squad for Saturday's clash with the British and Irish Lions in Adelaide. Ex-Ireland assistant coach Kiss, who will succeed Joe Schmidt as Wallabies boss next year, will lead the AUNZ side for what will be the Lions' final warm-up game before their three-Test series against Australia. Many of the names in the AUNZ group had already been announced but the finalised 30-man squad has now been confirmed. New Zealand internationals David Havili, Shannon Frizell, Shaun Stevenson, Ngani Laumape, Hoskins Sotutu, and Folau Fakatava are among the stars, while there are several Wallabies involved, including Marika Koroibete, Lukhan Salakai-Loto, and Pete Samu. Among the final crop of players confirmed are Chiefs tighthead prop George Dyer and a number of players who have already impressed against the Lions in recent warm-up games, such as Waratahs wing Darby Lancaster and Reds back row Joe Brial. Advertisement AUNZ Invitational XV squad: Aidan Ross, AJ Lam, Angus Blyth, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Daniel Botha, Darby Lancaster, David Havili, Folau Fakatava, George Dyer, Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, Hoskins Sotutu, Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, Jock Campbell, Joe Brial, Joey Walton, Joshua Fusitu'a, Kalani Thomas, Kurt Eklund, Lachlan Anderson, Lukhan Salakai-Loto, Mac Grealy, Marika Koroibete, Matt Philip, Ngani Laumape, Pete Samu, Richie Asiata, Seru Uru, Shannon Frizell, Shaun Stevenson, Tane Edmed. Former Connacht wing Ben O'Donnell. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO Meanwhile, Brumbies boss Stephen Larkham has named his matchday 23 to face the Lions on Wednesday in Canberra. Flanker Tom Hooper returns to the side having played off the bench for the Wallabies against Fiji on Sunday, while speedy wing Corey Toole, scrum-half Ryan Lonergan, openside Rory Scott, centre David Feliuai, and loosehead Lington Ieli are all part of the starting XV having recently trained with Joe Schmidt's national squad. Former Connacht wing Ben O'Donnell, who was with the Irish province from 2020 until 2022, starts on the right wing in what will be his final Brumbies appearance before joining French D2 club Aurillac. Tom Hooper's younger brother, Lachie, is set for his Brumbies debut off the bench, as is prop Cameron Orr. Brumbies (v Lions): 15. Andy Muirhead 14. Ben O'Donnell 13. Ollie Sapsford 12. David Feliuai 11. Corey Toole 10. Declan Meredith 9. Ryan Lonergan (captain) 1. Lington Ieli 2. Lachlan Lonergan 3. Rhys van Nek 4. Lachie Shaw 5. Cadeyrn Neville 6. Tom Hooper 7. Rory Scott 8. Tuaina Taii Tualima Replacements: 16. Liam Bowron 17. Cameron Orr 18. Feao Fotuaika 19. Lachie Hooper 20. Luke Reimer 21. Harrison Goddard 22. Jack Debreczeni 23. Hudson Creighton

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store