Owen Farrell hits the ground running after his shock Lions call-up to replace injured Elliot Daly... as Johnny Sexton jokes: 'He must've had the playbook on the plane!'
Owen Farrell was out there, joining in, tuning up and striving to show he can be ready when called upon. It was the former England captain's first on-field involvement since arriving as a replacement for Elliot Daly and it was no surprise he was the centre of attention — literally, in fact, as he had a midfield role once the prying lenses left and training ramped up.
Later, when the rest of the squad had finished their work, Farrell was doing his extras: sprint drills to top up his fitness levels. Despite an injury-wrecked season, he looked sharp — someone who is here to do much more than offer behind-the-scenes leadership. He looked like a player being prepared for a key role in the remainder of the tour.
While a potential Lions Test side are primed for a revenge mission against the Brumbies, this is the fascinating subplot. Farrell's arrival has caused an almighty stir and plenty of criticism, but within the Lions camp they are exuding anticipation and optimism about what the 33-year-old can offer them.
He is working closely with good-friend-turned-playmaker mentor Johnny Sexton, and the Irish icon spoke passionately about the belated introduction of the head coach's son. Firstly, he was asked how confident he is about Farrell Jnr's ability to get up to speed before a likely appearance against the Australia-New Zealand Invitational XV in Adelaide on Saturday.
'He's already up to speed,' said Sexton. 'It might take someone else 10 days to fit in, but he's hit the ground running. He must have had the playbook on the plane because he has come in and not missed a beat.
The 33-year-old fly-half teamed up with the Lions as a replacement for the injured Elliot Daly
'He has trained really well. We can see the value that he's going to bring for the rest of the tour.' Unprompted, Sexton then delivered such a forceful endorsement of Farrell's call-up that you wondered why he had not been picked in the first place.
Sexton said: 'How could you not bring him? I know he's had a bit of injury, but so have Sione (Tuipulotu) and Huw Jones.
'Experience is experience. He's a world-class player. Look at what he's won. He's been fantastic to have in camp and I'm sure he's going to add loads for the rest of the tour.'
There is an assumption that adding a Test centurion into such a competitive selection equation — alongside Finn Russell, Fin Smith and Marcus Smith — must cause a degree of tension and doubt.
Sexton argued otherwise. 'I know from playing 10 that if he's at 12, it's a dream,' he said. 'It makes your job easier. He's another organiser and another playmaker who can control the game. He's a leader. I could see the excitement on the 10s' faces when he was picked.
'They want to learn from the best. I can see the relationship he has with Finn. They seem to get on really well.'
Lions captain Maro Itoje is similarly enthused by the arrival of someone who will be back alongside him at Saracens next season. Asked if the presence of such a senior figure in the ranks might undermine his authority, Itoje responded: 'I've known Owen since I was 11, but he didn't start talking to me until I was 12 or so! I have a very good relationship with him.
'He just wants the squad to do well. Sport is never about ego. I want people to speak, have their voices heard, and contribute in a positive way.
Andy Farrell's Lions side are primed for a revenge mission against the Brumbies on Wednesday
'It's never about me having the final say or sticking my chest out. It's about how can we, as a collective, be successful? You can't do it by yourself. And when the team is successful, everyone wins. That's all I care about. And I know Owen's the same.'
The Lions need to be better today, after a stuttering 21-10 win over the Waratahs which raised doubts about their strategic approach.
They are likely to be far more direct, led by Bundee Aki at inside centre and in-form England prop Ellis Genge, as they strive to avenge a shock 14-12 defeat at the hands of the Brumbies on their last tour of Australia in 2013.
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Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack for the exclusive five-week tour diary from Japan and Australia. He obviously didn't play on Wednesday, which is very sad as it's the first time in many years we've had a Lions matchday squad without a single Welshman. But that just highlights where we are I suppose. I went out to referee in Japan before the World Cup and they were a good side then. They'd obviously beaten South Africa in 2015 and then reached the quarter-finals in the World Cup in Japan itself. They were a good side. A lot of sides going to Japan would have found it difficult to beat them. But they're not the side they once were. This was probably a mediocre Japan team in comparison and it really puts into perspective just how profoundly we've fallen. There were probably quite a few reasons for the defeat itself. 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Morgan, who you could arguably say could be one of the first names on the Lions teamsheet if he plays well again on Saturday, he's one who didn't come through that academy pathway. Played for Aberavon, and look at him now. The same for Leigh Halfpenny. He was let go by the academy at the Ospreys who decided he wasn't good enough and was picked up by Cardiff. If I wasn't refereeing in the URC or Pro 14 or whatever, I'd referee in the Welsh Premiership back in the day. Whether it be Aberavon v Neath or Pontypridd v Newport, they were good quality games with some big names playing for them. They were full-on occasions. I think the Premiership now could really be the jewel in the crown. Whether they have four, three or two regions, they have to make sure the Premiership below is a strong 12-club competition. That then creates a strong line of feeder clubs for the regions. That's where I think they've gone wrong over the years. They keep messing around with the Premiership. Taking it up to 16 teams, then down again. It feels like they don't really know what to do with it. But the Premiership could be like the Championship is in England. Top-quality rugby with traditional rivalries. Let's be honest, supporters of Pontypridd aren't going to go watch Cardiff, and supporters in Ebbw Vale aren't going to watch Newport. They're going to watch their club. But if they get a successful region above them where their players feed into it then maybe they would go along to support that too. This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more British & Irish Lions kit Get the British & Irish Lions kit The new British & Irish Lions kit has launched ahead of their latest tour with the range including shirts, hoodies and merch for all ages Various Fanatics Buy Now So we need to get that right. 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