Close calls to be made on Bundee Aki and Andrew Porter as Lions' first Test team takes shape
and his assistant coaches most likely had a good idea of their starting XV and replacements for next Saturday's first Test against
Australia
at Suncorp Stadium when they landed in Brisbane last Sunday.
The
Lions
management and players all maintained what is most likely a pretence after their Tuesday training session that the squad would only be informed on Wednesday for fear of the line-up being leaked to the world and
Joe Schmidt
.
In any event, all will be revealed around 3pm Australian time/6am Irish on Thursday when the British and Irish Lions starting XV and replacements are announced.
But until then, speculation will remain around the chosen player in at least four starting positions as well as the configuration and composition of the bench.
READ MORE
That said, one of those selection appears to have been settled in light of confirmation from the Lions that Mack Hansen suffered a foot injury in the 48-0 win over the AUNZ Invitational XV last Saturday, when his all-action, high-energy display looked like it might have sealed the right wing slot.
However, assistant coach Richard Wigglesworth bracketed Hansen with Blair Kinghorn on Tuesday and
admitted they were both a doubt
, indicating no decision would be made on their participation until seeing whether they are able to take part in Wednesday's training. That equates to Lions-speak for they're 'crocked', as if a player doesn't take part in the Tuesday training session he almost certainly won't be included in the first Test.
Hence, the in-form and more prolific Tommy Freeman looks sure to start. The same applies to Hugo Keenan at fullback and Huw Jones at outside centre in light of Kinghorn and Garry Ringrose being ruled out.
The riddle remains as to whether Jones will be partnered by club and international midfield team-mate Sione Tuipulotu or Bundee Aki. Farrell has maintained that national combinations and proven familiarity are not essential.
Indeed, he has strived to mix combinations and after last Saturday's game he gave the strongest indication yet that national identities do not concern him. What's more, he could point to the Aki-Jones combination working well in the 52-12 win over the Reds, so it would be no surprise to see an Irish-Scottish midfield axis outside the same at half-backs; namely Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell, who have long since looked the Test half-back pairing in waiting.
The choice between Ellis Genge and Andrew Porter looks to be a close call but perhaps tellingly the former has packed down alongside Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong as a unit off the bench against the Waratahs and starting against the Brumbies.
As at half-back, so the captain Maro Itoje and Joe McCarthy have looked like the secondrow pairing since complementing each other in the opening tour win over Western Force in Perth.
Save for Jack Conan retaining his place at eight from the series in South Africa just ahead of Ben Earl, the make-up of the backrow appears to be the most difficult puzzle to crack, especially openside. The choice appears to be between Ollie Chessum and Tadhg Beirne (the thought persists that Ryan Baird really should be here), while Josh van der Flier, Jac Morgan and Tom Curry would all have their admirers.
A hunch says Chessum and Van der Flier, and a regulation 5-3 bench rather than a 6-2 split, which will accommodate Owen Farrell and two from Beirne, Henry Pollock and Ben Earl.
Lions Possible XV
: Keenan; Freeman, Jones, Aki, Lowe; Russell, Gibson-Park; Genge, Sheehan, Furlong, Itoje (capt), McCarthy, Chessum, Van der Flier, Conan.
Replacements
: Kelleher, Porter, Stuart, Pollock, Earl, Mitchell, Farrell, M Smith.
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View from Down Under: The Lions are very welcome guests, but they could do their hosts more harm than good
Since the arrival of the British and Irish Lions in Australia three weeks ago, the sword of Damocles has been hovering over the heads of the Wallabies and never more so than in the Test week. The Lions are a unique guest to host. On the positive side of the ledger, their visit comes once every 12 years and they come laden with financial benefits, attention for rugby and some of the finest players in the world. However, this guest is also keenly aware of their own value and the desire from others to host them at any time. French Rugby Federation vice-president Abdel Benazzi is reportedly travelling to Melbourne next week to engage with Lions officials about the suitability of hosting the world's most famous touring team. It's hard to blame the former flanker, given that his federation is facing a minimum loss of €19.2 million, potentially rising to €28.9 million after hosting the 2023 Rugby World Cup. The romanticism of the Lions and its rich tradition has faded, replaced by cold, clear financial returns for both host and guest. According to the Australian Financial Review, the last Lions tour made €19.5 million profit for Rugby Australia and this tour could make more than €55 million. It is not yet clear what the Lions' profit will be, but comfortably, it will be far higher than previous tours of New Zealand and South Africa. READ MORE Slow Lions build-up finally culminates in Test week Listen | 37:54 If Australia has appeased the Lions with its financial clout, the Wallabies also need to fulfil the far more challenging role of being a competitive opponent in the Test series. A brutal whitewash will leave Rugby Australia far weaker at the negotiating table. At this stage, the Lions are not contractually locked into visiting the country again in 12 years' time. 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Gerry Thornley: If anything there could have been more Irish in Lions side for first Test
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Josh van der Flier has been afforded only one start to date and has had the least minutes of the three contenders at openside. Photograph: Dan Sheridan/Inpho And then, perhaps most debatable of all, there's Josh van der Flier, and Jac Morgan, losing out to Tom Curry. Likewise, van der Flier has been afforded only one start to date and has had the least minutes of the three contenders at openside. Based on the statistics so far on tour, one could make a strong case for Van der Flier, the 2022 world Player of the Year. Of the trio, Van der Flier has beaten the most defenders, eight, compared to Curry's five and Morgan's four. Van der Flier has the best tackling statistics, with 47 completed and only one missed, compared to Morgan's 49 out of 53 and Curry's 30, with seven missed. Morgan has also won the most turnovers, six, compared to two by Curry and one by van der Flier, while Curry has coughed up the most turnovers, five, as against four by Morgan and two by Van der Flier. Clearly experience counted, as Curry is one of four forwards in the pack who started all three Tests four years ago, along with Jack Conan, Tadhg Furlong and Maro Itoje. Farrell conceded that the backrow was 'the hotly contested one ... and rightly so because of the quality we've got there.' He referenced Beirne's set-piece, work in the jackal and as 'a ball playing six' to complement Jack Conan and 'the engine' of Curry. As well as Henry Pollock and Duhan van der Merwe, Van der Flier was one of three players on Lions duty in the Great Barrier Reef on Thursday and rarely can three people have enjoyed such scant consolation from seeing one of the wonders of the world. Being confined to the team hotel in readiness for starting Saturday's first Test would have been eminently preferable. Farrell and his assistants have, admittedly, made Irish internationals Hugo Keenan, James Lowe, Jamison Gibson-Park, Sheehan, Furlong, Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne at blindside and Jack Conan very happy, as well as three more on the bench, namely Porter, Ronan Kelleher and Aki. But the flip side is that he's disappointed players who have been among his go-to men over the last four years, such as Van der Flier, whom he has picked in 50 of his 56 Tests as Irish head coach, and James Ryan (49 times). But Farrell maintained these were not difficult decisions or difficult conversations. 'No, no. You picked the players originally because you know their character and you have done your homework on who you are not as familiar with. The characters who I have seen throughout the whole group I wouldn't envisage there would be any problems along the way anyway in everyone putting the team first.' Indeed, what was most special about this week, Farrell said, was the manner in which the non-23 in the yellow bibs played the role of the Wallabies in training. Going into last season Joe McCarthy had only one cap, against Australia in November 2022. His selection this week may have looked inevitable, but at 24 that only makes his rise even more impressive. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho Flipping back to the other side of the coin again, going into last season McCarthy had only one cap, against Australia in November 2022. His selection this week may have looked inevitable, but at 24 that only makes his rise even more impressive. 'He's worked out the type of player that he wants to be,' said Farrell. 'He always wanted to master the dark arts of a tighthead second row and we've had some learnings along the way. He's been mature enough to sort those out and that's why we're seeing him play his best rugby.' In fearlessly 'walking forward' into this challenge, McCarthy could even be interpreted as a signature selection by Farrell. 'He definitely will. He's that type of player. I've never really seen him take a backward step anyway, even when he came on to the scene as a youngster. 'He's certainly grown a lot since then as far as maturity's concerned but I've also seen his character and his attitude grow in the same vein and then we end up with him starting in a Lions series. It's fantastic to see.' 'Look at the pack that we have picked, it is not just Joe,' added Farrell. 'You can see that throughout. You can also see that the quality of the bench of who's not there. You would take that at any given time in a Test match.' AUSTRALIA: Tom Wright; Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Harry Potter; Tom Lynagh, Jake Gordon; James Slipper, Matt Faessler, Allan Ala'alatoa; Nick Frost, Jeremy Williams; Nick Champion de Crespigny, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson (capt). Replacements: Billy Pollard, Angus Bell, Tom Robertson, Tom Hooper, Carlo Tizzano, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Andrew Kellaway. BRITISH AND IRISH LIONS: Hugo Keenan (Ire); Tommy Freeman (Eng), Huw Jones (Sco), Sione Tuipulotu (Sco), James Lowe (Ire); Finn Russell (Sco), Jamison Gibson-Park (Ire); Ellis Genge (Eng), Dan Sheehan (Ire), Tadhg Furlong (Ire); Maro Itoje (Eng, captain), Joe McCarthy (Ire); Tadhg Beirne (Ire), Tom Curry (Eng), Jack Conan (Ire). Replacements: Rónan Kelleher (Ire), Andrew Porter (Ire), Will Stuart (Eng), Ollie Chessum (Eng), Ben Earl (Eng), Alex Mitchell (Eng), Marcus Smith (Eng), Bundee Aki (Ire).
