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4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why the British and Irish Lions' uncertain future could be bad news for Australia
A British and Irish Lions tour is sold, principally, on history and mystery. Anachronistic in its very concept, the actions and anecdotes of trips of yesteryear are woven into the rich red fabric adorning the current crop, links with the century and a half of touring parties evident at every moment before, during and after each squad's assembly. The cultural capital of the Lions is vast and trades, primarily, on that which has gone before – each trip bringing with it a chance to stir the nostalgic senses with a retrospective look. The mystery is inherent: how will a squad drawn at short notice handle the pressure of coming together to take on a big southern hemisphere beast? Yet, even the great bastions of heritage and history must eventually become forward-looking. A corporate and commercial behemoth in a sport lacking in that sort of commodity, this may be a time of great change for the British and Irish Lions as bigwigs look ahead to a future that feels more uncertain than usual. Which is not to suggest that the Lions are in any kind of jeopardy. The strength of the brand ensures that the concept is surely safeguarded for the foreseeable future. But for the first time in recent memory, it feels like the concept itself could be tweaked. Already, of course, there is a women's tour on the way, the exact details still to be confirmed for the 2027 trip to New Zealand. The planning of the trip is well underway, even if there are plenty within the game who question whether the sport is ready for such a venture. That will precede a men's trip to take on the All Blacks two years later. Red letter games: The British and Irish Lions are one of rugby's biggest brands (Getty) But speculation otherwise abounds, and there is no guarantee that the traditional quadrennial cycles remain intact. While the Lions' touring history stretches back to 188, the actual lineage of the now familiar format is not that long – it was only in 1989 that the tourists first travelled solely to Australia, and only in 1997 that the South Africa/Australia/New Zealand rotation was fully established after the fall of the apartheid regime. The idea of taking a tour to France, which would represent a radical rethink, will not go away. Discussions have begun over possible pre-tour meetings in 2027 and 2029, while former Lions scrum-half Matt Dawson recently told The Times that it would be 'insane' not to organise a full trip and itinerary. Such an idea would be glorious fun, with the fire and fervour of the French fans sure to cancel out the sea of red, and the depth of the sport in the country ready to provide compelling contests throughout the tour. A Lions tour would probably land well in a nation where club rugby is often king. It is a personal view, however, that a trip to a less far-flung shore would have a rather different and likely inferior feel, though providing greater accessibility to a wider spectrum of supporters would be welcome. Equally, those who criticise the Lions as being Anglocentric or imperialistic would relish a broadening of the borders; the performance and passion shown by Argentina in their two pre-tour encounters in the last two decades show that a return for the Pumas to the touring schedule more regularly would be embraced. Equally, the development of Pacific Island nations, Japan and others could be aided – it feels something of a misstep that Fiji, particularly, were not an opponent on this trip. An already congested calendar has limited room for expansion, though, which means that one of the traditional touring locations would surely have to be squeezed. For various reasons, it feels unlikely that New Zealand or South Africa would be under threat; Australia, by contrast, feel almost interminably imperilled in the modern landscape, and this has not necessarily been a buoyant start. The failure to release Wallabies to already under-powered Super Rugby Pacific sides has led to tour games generally won with a degree of comfort by the Lions, even amid plenty of errors. Australia may need a strong series to prove they remain worthy opponents of the Lions (AP) This should be a time of prosperity and promise for the Wallabies as they gear up for a home World Cup in two years' time, and yet the alarm bells still ring. Financial pressures on the unions have eased slightly – aided by this Lions trip – but it is not long since the Melbourne Rebels were lost as an entity, while rugby union is ever more marginalised by the popularity of the NRL and AFL. The truth is that the opening skirmishes of this Lions tour barely made a dent in the sporting psyche; that will change once the Tests are underway a bit, but union generally has to be content to play second or third fiddle. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii swapped rugby league for union – but most go the other way in Australia (Getty) Within that comes a talent drain – the (expensive) luring of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is a mere breath into a prevailing wind that blows young talent to league from union. Amid that, there are nonetheless intriguing reports of NRL superstar Kalyn Ponga hiring an agent in union to keep his options open – though it would be an All Blacks call that the son of Kiwi parents would covet. Next summer will see South Africa and New Zealand tussle in a traditional tour of their own kind, expected to be sold on the strength of their rivalry as the Rugby Championship is ripped up in the name of bringing together two of the sport's fiercest foes in an encounter of greater meaning. What this means for Australia and Argentina is still somewhat unclear, but with the death of the traditional summer tour for the European nations with the advent of the Nations Cup in 2026, the established rugby calendar will certainly start to look rather different. It all makes this a rather opportune moment for the Wallabies to prove a few doubters wrong. By ranking and recent record, they are the poorest of the Lions' opponents of the modern era but never doubt the capacity of an Australian sporting side to rise to the occasion.
The Independent
15-07-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Why the British and Irish Lions' uncertain future could be bad news for Australia
A British and Irish Lions tour is sold, principally, on history and mystery. Anachronistic in its very concept, the actions and anecdotes of trips of yesteryear are woven into the rich red fabric adorning the current crop, links with the century and a half of touring parties evident at every moment before, during and after each squad's assembly. The cultural capital of the Lions is vast and trades, primarily, on that which has gone before – each trip bringing with it a chanc e to stir the nostalgic senses with a retrospective look. The mystery is inherent: how will a squad drawn at short notice handle the pressure of coming together to take on a big southern hemisphere beast? Yet even the great bastions of heritage and history must eventually become forward-looking. A corporate and commercial behemoth in a sport lacking in that sort of commodity, this may be a time of great change for the British and Irish Lions as bigwigs look ahead to a future that feels more uncertain than usual. Which is not to suggest that the Lions are in any kind of jeopardy. The strength of the brand ensures that the concept is surely safeguarded for the foreseeable future. But for the first time in recent memory, it feels like the concept itself could be tweaked. Already, of course, there is a women's tour on the way, the exact details still be confirmed for the 2027 trip to New Zealand but the planning well underway, even if there are plenty within the game who question whether the sport is ready for such a venture. That will precede a men's trip to take on the All Blacks two years later. But speculation otherwise abounds, and there is no guarantee that the traditional quadrennial cycles remain intact. While the Lions' touring history stretches back to 188, the actual lineage of the now familiar format is not that long – it was only in 1989 that the tourists first travelled solely to Australia, and only in 1997 that the South Africa/Australia/New Zealand rotation was fully established after the fall of the apartheid regime. The idea of taking a tour to France, which would represent a radical rethink, will not go away. Discussions have begun over possible pre-tour meetings in 2027 and 2029, while former Lions scrum half Matt Dawson recently told The Times that it would be 'insane' not to organise a full trip and itinerary. Such an idea would be glorious fun, with the fire and fervour of the French fans sure to cancel out the sea of red, and the depth of the sport in the country sure to provide compelling contests throughout the tour. A Lions tour would probably land well in a nation where club rugby is often king. It is a personal view, however, that a trip to less far-flung shore would have a rather different and likely inferior feel, though providing greater accessibility to a wider spectrum of supporters would be welcome. Equally, those that criticise the Lions as being Anglocentric or imperialistic would relish a broadening of the boarders; the performance and passion shown by Argentina in their two pre-tour encounters in the last two decades show that a return for the Pumas to the touring schedule more regularly would be embraced. Equally, the development of Pacific Island nations, Japan and others could be aided – it feels a misstep that Fiji, particularly, were not an opponent on this trip. An already congested calendar has limited room for expansion, though, which means that one of the traditional touring locations would surely have to be squeezed. For various reasons, it feels unlikely that New Zealand or South Africa would be under threat; Australia, by contrast, feel almost interminably imperilled in the modern landscape, and this has not necessarily been a buoyant start. The failure to release Wallabies to already under-powered Super Rugby Pacific sides has led to tour games generally won with a degree of comfort by the Lions, even amid plenty of errors. This should be a time of prosperity and promise for the Wallabies as they gear up for a home World Cup in two years' time, and yet the alarm bells still ring. Financial pressures on the unions have eased slightly – aided by this Lions trip – but it is not long since the Melbourne Rebels were lost as an entity, while rugby union is ever more marginalised by the popularity of the NRL and AFL. The truth is that the opening skirmishes of this Lions tour barely made a dent in the sporting psyche; that will change once the Tests are underway a bit, but union generally has to be content to play second or third fiddle. Within that comes a talent drain – the (expensive) luring of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is a mere breath into a prevailing wind that blows young talent to league from union. Amidst that, there are nonetheless intriguing reports of NRL superstar Kalyn Ponga hiring an agent in union to keep his options open – though it would be an All Blacks call that the son of Kiwi parents would covet. Next summer will see South Africa and New Zealand tussle in a traditional tour of their own kind, expected to be sold on the strength of their rivalry as the Rugby Championship is ripped up in the name of bringing together two of the sport's fiercest foes in an encounter of greater meaning. What this means for Australia and Argentina is still somewhat unclear, but with the death of the traditional summer tour for the European nations with the advent of the Nations Cup in 2026, the established rugby calendar will certainly start to look rather different. It all makes this a rather opportune moment for the Wallabies to prove a few doubters wrong. By ranking and recent record, they are the poorest of the Lions' opponents of the modern era but never doubt the capacity of an Australian sporting side to rise to the occasion.
Telegraph
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
‘Crazy' race for Lions No 7 shirt is Andy Farrell's toughest call
'It's crazy,' Tom Curry says of the competition at openside in the Lions squad before quickly adding, 'It's class.' Of course, there are ferocious contests everywhere in the squad, but the battle to wear the No 7 shirt is white-hot, in part because of the way Andy Farrell constructed his initial Lions squad which is less sixes and sevens and more sevens on top of more sevens. Indeed you could argue there is not a single specialist blindside flanker, such as Jamie Ritchie or Ryan Baird, in the squad. At 33, Tadhg Beirne has become much more comfortable in the second row where he can pick and choose his explosive moments. Ollie Chessum is starting in the No 6 shirt against the Brumbies on Wednesday, but despite being viewed as a hybrid option has only started two Tests there for England versus 17 in the second row. With Maro Itoje and Joe McCarthy looking like a likely Test second-row partnership, then one of Beirne or Chessum will be needed at six to provide an alternative line-out jumper to the bulkier McCarthy. At No 8, there is only one out-and-out specialist in Jack Conan, who also starts against the Brumbies and, barring injury or a truly wretched performance, will remain there for the first Test. Again the balance might have been different had Tom Willis, who delivered a storming performance for England against Argentina, been picked in the initial squad. This effectively leaves five back-rowers in Curry, Josh van der Flier, Henry Pollock, Jac Morgan and Ben Earl in a five-way dance-off for one single back-row place. Here Telegraph Sport takes a look at the the runners and riders to be the Lions' magnificent seven. Tom Curry (England) – The Frontrunner It may seem that Curry has been relatively quiet in his first two starts against Argentina and Queensland Reds, but that is not the impression that head coach Andy Farrell has of the Sale Sharks openside. 'He's a machine,' Farrell said. 'His work rate, his stuff off the ball is very impressive. The stuff that he does off the ball makes teams tick. He's so fit, so determined to have an impact on the game, especially as far as physicality is concerned. I think he started the tour really well.' Curry, too, says he prides himself on his work-rate and his ability to get off the floor. He has definitely lacked many explosive moments so far this tour, but he does not seem perturbed by the fact he is not topping the charts or the highlights reel. 'No, that suits me,' Curry said. 'That's probably when I play my best. I don't do stats and numbers. It's just, if you are on the floor, how quickly you get up and if the ball is in the air, how quickly you run. Numbers don't mean much.' Another trump card in Curry's favour is that he is the only one of the contenders with past Lions Test experience. However, it feels as though he needs a big performance to cement his place in the starting XV. The unseen graft is all very well, but with the Test series approaching Curry needs to come out of the shadows and display his destructiveness in defence. Josh van der Flier (Ireland) – Mr Consistency There are very few boxes that Van der Flier does not tick. Carry, link, and especially tackle. Against both the Western Force and the Waratahs, he was the game's top tackler with 21 and 17 respectively. For Ireland under Andy Farrell, he is one of the first names on the team-sheet and has considerable pedigree as the 2022 World Player of the Year. In terms of ball-handling skills, Van der Flier has as smooth a hands as any back in the squad – indeed he was a scrum half until he was 15 – and often acts as an auxiliary 9 from line-out ball. Such is his speed, that he can also finish in the wide channels like a winger. If there is a downside to Van der Flier's game, it would be his lack of regular jackal turnovers and it was noticeable that the Lions were beasted in this area against the Waratahs. However, he is the glue to both Leinster and Ireland's game plans and he will never deliver you less than a 7/10 performance. When the final selection meeting is held, Farrell may well turn to the man he trusts the most. Jac Morgan (Wales) – The Jackal Morgan feels like he is singlehandedly flying the flag for all of Wales – let's pretend they are not touring Japan – and his man-of-the-match performance against the Queensland Reds puts him firmly in the selection conversation. Certainly, that display had Farrell purring with delight. 'He was everywhere. His offloading game was great, he was aggressive with his hitting,' Farrell said. 'If he plays like he did today, he can play wherever he wants.' Morgan is the purest jackaller in the squad as he showcased with his ability over the ball against the Reds, where he also showed that he can be effective as a ball-carrier, which is not always easy when you are representing Wales. The big knock against Morgan was that he did this against the Reds rather than against high-class opposition in Argentina where he disappeared for long periods. Occasionally he can appear slightly lightweight against bigger opposition. With both Van der Flier and Pollock on the bench against the Brumbies, it is likely that Morgan will have one last chance to state his case against the Australia and New Zealand invitational XV on Saturday. Henry Pollock (England) – The Wildcard There is so much science that goes behind selection from the review of statistics to weighting a player's body of experience, but sometimes you just have to say balls to that and embrace the fearlessness of youth. Aged 20 and with one full season of Premiership rugby and 30 minutes of Test rugby under his belt, Pollock has no real right to be in this squad let alone competing for a starting spot. Yet, at the same time, Farrell must recognise the same impetuous qualities he displayed as a teenager for Wigan Warriors: he fears absolutely no one and no stage is too big for him. There are rough edges, but here is the X-factor that the Lions seem to be lacking, as his brilliant break and chip-and-chase against the Western Force illustrated. Starting Pollock would be a huge risk – but it is one that Farrell may be minded to take. Ben Earl (England) – Mr Everything Earl may well be a victim of his own versatility being able to appear across the back row and even at centre. His natural home has always felt at openside where he most frequently appears for Saracens. Earl's work-rate is off the charts. Against the Waratahs, he made 21 carries – a sixth of the Lions totals – with Mack Hansen the next highest with nine as well as making a game-high 114 metres. He was the game's top carrier against Argentina. And these are just the statistics that we can see - England support staff say his ability to get off the floor and conduct repeat efforts are at the top of the tree. For England, it feels Earl has been asked to sacrifice much of his explosive power for repeated carries. Putting him alongside Conan could allow him to return to the heights we saw at the 2023 World Cup. But again his flexibility – especially with his ability to cover centre – will make him a very tempting bench option. Another big game on Saturday would be needed to change the equation.
Daily Mail
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
DAN BIGGAR: I just don't understand the decision to add Owen Farrell to world-class Lions squad
I just don't understand the decision to add Owen Farrell to the Lions squad. He's been called in to replace Elliot Daly but they are totally different players. It's a real shame for Daly to break his arm because he's been playing well but he wasn't going to start in the Tests.
The Irish Sun
20-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Australia boss Joe Schmidt breaks his silence on Lions squad announcement before issuing rallying cry to home fans
WALLABY boss Joe Schmidt has weighed in on the 2025 Lions squad announcement. The former Ireland boss was speaking on 2 Australia boss Joe Schmidt weighed in on the Lions Squad before issuing a rallying cry to his fans 2 Joe Schmidt also reckons Andy Farrell's side may use international combinations for his starting XV test side Schmidt will But the ex- But he will officially then quit the Australia job to care for his son Luke, who battles severe Epilepsy. It means a new head coach will take charge for the end-of-year tour and lead the team into the World Cup on home soil. read more on rugby But ahead of the summer tour, Schmidt thinks 'Some of those combinations could be dangerous — especially if they go with an all-Irish front row to start. "Andrew Furlong with Tadhg Furlong, and Dan Sheehan in the middle of them, and you've got Luke Cowan-Dickie or Ronan Kelleher to come off the bench for them. "It could be an all-English front row to come on a replace them, Ellis Genge." Most read in Rugby Union When further quizzed about how he reckons how Farrell will select his starting XV in the test games, Schmidt added that it's a realistic possibility that the Ireland boss may stick with international combinations instead of chopping an changing. Schmidt added: "Potentially, especially if you're trying to fast-track things. "But at the same time they have a nice run in of those half-dozen game [The build up tour games]. Argentina and the games before the first test to test those combinations, if they want to tinker with a few things. The Aussie boss went on to issue a rally cry to their fans ahead of the upcoming series after being asked about the home side's supporters. He concluded: "We love that support that's built, even being at The Warriors game on Sunday - people coming up to us and saying, 'we''re 100% behind you. "It does give confidence to players, and a the same time the players are going to have to earn whatever you get from the crowd. "We're very conscious of that, those moments that matter, you earn it back behind the training fence. You earn it working on your cohesion and getting your performance habits as positively honed as you can. "What I'd say, 'bring your confidence and your voice, and we'll bring our energy and effort to try and keep you entertained, and also that we can be as competitive as we need to be."
