Andy Farrell interview: Lions will be the most important thing in world sport by a country mile
The Lions have not won a Test series since their last visit to Australia 12 years ago. The last tour of South Africa was memorable only for the logistical triumph of getting it done at the height of the Covid pandemic in empty stadiums.
There is a sense that to future-proof the allure and mystique of the Lions concept, it could do with a series to reignite the passion and connection with the supporters that was the glorious legacy of the 2009 tour of South Africa, even though it ended in a 2-1 defeat.
Farrell might have been forged by rugby league but the Wiganer, who has now spent over half his professional career in rugby union, is acutely aware of the honour and responsibility he carries now as Lions head coach, having worked as an assistant coach on the tours of Australia in 2013 and New Zealand in 2017.
'I've not done my homework on this and I don't care what the answer is, to me, when the Lions tour gets going, when we get down to the Tests, to the business end, it will be the most important thing in world sport by a country mile, whatever is going on,' says Farrell, having gathered his thoughts.
'It will. That is just a fact. It shows the importance of it. Nobody will believe it until we actually get to that point, but then everyone will start to believe it, because the facts will be there: the supporters, the build-up and the hype and all of that. That's when they will realise how special it is.'
Farrell's passion is infectious. He recalls the impact of the 2009 tour when Sir Ian McGeechan and Warren Gatland 'got a bit of pride back and fight, that's why everyone felt good about it,' and recalls the iconic shot of the Lions and New Zealand players in the joint team photograph following the drawn series in 2017.
He has thought long and hard about what he will regard as a success for this tour, and surprisingly for such a serial winner as a player and coach, he does not feel it would be entirely defined only by results. He wants more than that. He wants his players to do justice not just to themselves but to the jersey, starting by making amends for the defeat by Argentina in Dublin last Friday.
'I always say to all my teams that winning matters,' he adds. 'It matters. But what matters more to me is us getting the best out of each other, getting the best out of the team. That's the ultimate really, because then, if we do that, then the rest takes care of itself. There's a bigger picture.
'Because sometimes winning, it's not always in your hands – injuries, two men sent off, whatever the rules are with the scrum now, where you can go to 13 men, a bounce of a ball, all of that. The opposition could have such a performance that you actually go 'Wow, fair play to them'. Still, you have to be good enough to be at your best when all that matters.
'I know we are going to have to roll with the punches because of the nature of what old-fashioned touring is about. But what matters to me more than most is us coming away at the end of the series going 'Wow, we were a brilliant team, we made something of it.' Then the rest will look after itself.'
The journey that has taken Farrell to Perth on the eve of the opening tour game against Western Force on Saturday, officially began when he was appointed as Lions in January last year. He was the outstanding candidate, having coached Ireland to a series victory in New Zealand in 2022, the Grand Slam in 2023 and taking Ireland to No 1 in the world.
Yet the true journey began when he made his debut for Wigan Warriors at the age of 16 and within a couple of years had forced his way into a vintage Great Britain side. He knew even back then that he wanted to be a coach one day and began taking notes.
'I do stop and think about it (his journey) but if I did that too long, I would be in the wrong spot,' he adds. 'When I came into the camp on the first day and people were rolling in, it reminded me it's rugby. It's what I've been doing all my life. It's the same people, the same people who are just as passionate, and you do get to pinch yourself because of how privileged you are to be in the position.'
He recalls the excitement of starting with a blank canvas and putting together a staff of 36 people, starting with the appointment of Charlotte Gibbons as operations director on secondment from the Rugby Football Union, but that also reminded him of why he is happiest when he is coaching.
'One of the reasons I was excited about doing it is because it is different,' he adds. 'And different is good for me. There is a lot of travelling, a lot of conversations to be had and I was thinking 'God, I wish I was on the training field'. But that is good as well because it has made me appreciate what I do love. It shows me that I am not someone who wants to just sit above the rugby. The rugby is the pinnacle.'
For Farrell, the best part of the job to date has been making the phone calls to those selected. The conversations, many emotional, reminding him of what makes the Lions so special.
'Some of the conversations that I have had have been the best conversations I have ever had in my life,' he adds. 'People ask me 'are you taking the piss?' or 'is this a wind up'. Phoning up the lads or staff, it just shows how much it means to people, that is how it should be. Some end up being pretty short conversations because they got so emotional because it's the pinnacle for everyone. When people get emotional, I think, 'That is exactly the power of the shirt.''
This brings us back to the beginning of the conversation. What the Lions mean to him and his players. One of the most moving conversations he had was with Finlay Bealham, the Ireland prop, when he called him about joining the squad as an injury replacement for Zander Fagerson.
Farrell is not renowned for showing emotion, but the former two-time rugby league Man of Steel winner admitted to coming close to welling up when he heard Bealham's reaction.
'Finlay was one of the best conversations that I've ever had,' Farrell says. 'He was in the gym, training with a few of the Connacht lads. He'd seen a missed call, so he popped out of the gym, which wasn't right, because he should have phoned me back after he'd done the gym session.
'But he's puffing and panting. I said, 'Is everything OK? How's your fitness?' I'd already given him a heads-up that he could be around the squad for Argentina. I said, 'Well, you're in for a couple of weeks for Argentina – and to add to that, you're coming on tour, part of the full squad'.
'I don't know what was going on at the other end of the phone, but... they are the best parts. It just shows what it means to people. He brought me to t…'
He stops himself. 'He brought me a little bit that way, emotionally, because I know what it means. So, they're brilliant conversations, aren't they? I take the piss out of the lads who were crying on stage or whatever. But it's real, isn't it? It shows what matters.'
The Lions, it seems, are in good hands.
Resmed is the Official Sleep Partner of the Qatar Airways 2025 British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia. As part of this, Resmed launched its 'Tackle Your Sleep' campaign to take a light-hearted look at serious sleep health issues affecting players and the fans in Australia, the UK and Ireland to raise awareness about the importance of quality sleep for both players and fans. For more information, visit: https://www.resmed.co.uk/tackle-your-sleep/
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