Andy Farrell's Squid Game and Jamie 'Showbiz' Osborne
Reports from Sydney
AS THE LIONS returned to the training pitch today for the first time since their series-clinching second Test win in Melbourne, they were greeted by interesting sights and sounds.
Andy Farrell sent assistant coach John Fogarty and a few other Lions staff ahead to set things up at the impressive Shore School, which overlooks the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Keen to create energy from the moment they set foot back on the pitch ahead of their shot at making it a 3-0 series whitewash against the Wallabies, Farrell had organised his own version of Squid Game.
For anyone who hasn't seen the South Korean show on Netflix, it's a dystopian thriller in which hundreds of players who are desperate for money play a series of kids' games that have literally been turned into life-or-death scenarios. The last person standing wins.
'The whole field was covered in equipment,' explained Lions assistant coach Andrew Goodman today.
'The staff were dressed up in all that kit, the speakers were all set up, a bit of fun, stuff like that to get a bit of energy back in the group.
'We had a 'green light, red light,' the whole field was covered in different things they could hide behind, and they had people in the top tier keeping an eye on people. It was good craic.'
Ireland and Leinster prop Thomas Clarkson was the unfortunate one to be killed off first, although Goodman didn't reveal the quick-witted winner.
It's an example of how Farrell – who the Lions players call 'Big Faz,' while Owen Farrell is 'Little Faz' – is constantly looking to create good energy in his teams.
'He's always about having fun as a group,' said Goodman. 'The mini-team stuff, the little challenges he'll have at the start of meetings, there's always a bit of craic, a bit of a laugh involved.
'It keeps the boys engaged and fresh and it's not just going into a meeting where it's rugby all the time. There are little bits like that that make it enjoyable as well.'
Lions assistant coach Andrew Goodman.
Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
Farrell is also a demanding and serious rugby coach. He has occasionally stung his Ireland players into responding to underperformances with savage reviews that question their work rate and application.
And Lions captain Maro Itoje has been surprised at just how detailed Farrell's coaching is.
'Not that I thought he wasn't going to be, but he is very particular on detail and thoughtful on how the week flows which is very good from a player's point of view,' said Itoje. 'I've enjoyed the experience.'
And then there is Farrell's well-known ability to deliver the right words at the right time.
Ireland's players know exactly how good Farrell can be at choosing the ideal message to inspire them, something the rest of the Lions have enjoyed in recent weeks.
'He's a brilliant orator, he holds the room and is a great motivator of men,' said Itoje.
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'He's quite thoughtful.'
Goodman says that the key to Farrell is his relentlessness. He's not on a couple of days a week, but every single day.
It has been clear throughout this tour just how much the players have been enjoying themselves. Even though they haven't been able to do a huge amount outside of rugby, Farrell has built an atmosphere in which the players have become close.
In one of his early meetings, he prompted a few players to tell the group why they admired a team-mate from another country, someone they didn't fully know yet. It put people under pressure in that moment, but set a tone for how he wanted people to connect.
'I have built relationships with people I really didn't know well,' said Itoje. 'Someone like 'Showbiz', Jamie Osborne… his nickname is 'Showbiz.' I never thought I would have a relationship with him.
'I wouldn't mind the nickname Showbiz if you're going to start it, but I'm happy with Pearl, to be honest. I know now whenever I play against him in the future, I can call him Showbiz and he will have that little smirk on his face.'
Andy Farrell with his family in Melbourne.
James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Itoje mentioned Jac Morgan, as well as the 'absolutely hilarious' and 'very endearing person' Finlay Bealham as other examples.
Farrell has had lots of players on the ground in Australia, as many as 45 at one stage, but seems to have kept everyone happy and working for the betterment of the team.
He has also had a big coaching staff, with six assistants working alongside him.
Farrell himself is renowned as an excellent attack coach, Goodman's speciality is in that area, Richard Wigglesworth works on England's attack, and Johnny Sexton is an attack master too. But they have all worked seamlessly together, according to Goodman.
'We all muck in,' said Goodman. 'We ask questions of each other and have areas we're in charge of.
'Wiggy's doing a lot of the kicking game and counter side of things, myself on the set-piece attack into phase.
'Jonny has an eye that asks a lot of questions and is spending a lot of time with the nines and 10s.
'And Faz is over everything: effort, work, detail, driving us as coaches. He's got a great eye for attack and defence, he'll always be driving the messages.'
And like the players, Goodman says this tour has been hugely beneficial for the assistant coaches.
He and others know Farrell very well from the Ireland set-up, but the value of being on such a big tour in Australia is huge.
'I've really enjoyed working with different people like Wiggy and John [Dalziel, the forwards coach]. It's been great to get different views on how things work, be open to different ways and different languages, and little activities to use, etc.
'When we first got in as a group, Faz drove that really hard. He said we have to information-share, we have to be open books. That's how we get the best out of each other.'
One other strength of Farrell's is that he is always all about winning. So while they might have enjoyed their Squid Game, this final Test is serious business for the Lions.
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