A rising tide lifts all boats. While the understandable temptation for his players will be to individually seize the moment when the Lions play the Brumbies on Wednesday, in Andy Farrell’s eyes the best way of doing that is to put the collective first.
All the signs are that Farrell and his assistants have picked the nearest thing yet to a shadow side for this encounter with the pick of the Aussie Super Rugby franchises 10 days out from the first Test. To that end Farrell wants his players to put the team first.
“You want to see them stay in every single moment of the game and I know that sounds harsh and almost impossible to do. But they understand 100 per cent now, and have done for a week or so, what is expected of them to be the best team-mate that they can possibly be.
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“So that’s what we’re judging them on, the expectation of that and what it takes to be the best version of themselves, but also what it takes to be part of this team. And they understand that, because ultimately that’s what is going to make us successful or not.”
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Intriguing combinations abound, both familiar and unfamiliar, with the backrow still looking the most variable. Tadhg Beirne and Tom Curry have each played twice at blindside, the former after Henry Pollock was picked for the position against the Waratahs only to be withdrawn.
Now, as Farrell & co look for the right mix of mobility, breakdown threat, carrying and lineout ability – all the more so as Joe McCarthy is not a renowned ball-winner in the air – Ollie Chessum starts at blindside with Tom Curry at openside.
Yet Chessum is not a proven lock/blindside hybrid in the manner of say Ryan Baird. Of his 19 Test starts for England, just two have been at blindside, with the remainder at lock.
“I think with Tadhg (Beirne) at six you’ve got a breakdown presence in the backrow. Ollie might be a little bit different as far as that’s concerned, but the energy that he gives the likes of Tom Curry by the hits that he will make to make it open on the floor, I don’t just think we’ve got backrowers who can pinch a ball.
“We’ve also got others in the pack and in the backs – I mean Bundee (Aki) is pretty renowned for that type of stuff – so it will be interesting to see the balance this week because we’ve played quite a fee different scenarios now so I’ll be glad to see how this fits.”
Maro Itoje’s status as captain having been rubber-stamped by his energetic try-scoring display against the Queensland Reds, and Joe McCarthy, having done likewise against Western Force, look the likely secondrow pairing for the opening Test, although this will be the first time they pack down together.
“I think they will complement each other really well, both showing good form in their last game,” ventured Farrell.
“Continuity is pretty important to be able to add to that, I suppose there’s no doubt that they would have listened to what everyone’s been saying about their performances. It’s up to them to make sure that they take a step forward.”
In constructing a team effectively from scratch, established and intuitive combinations are invaluable. The Lions’ Test midfield always seemed likely to come down to a choice between the Sione Tuipulotu/Huw Jones Scottish pairing or the Bundee Aki/Garry Ringrose Irish duo.
After ‘Huwipulotu’ were the choice against the Waratahs, Aki and Ringrose partner up for the Brumbies, the Lions’ fifth midfield combination in five games. It still feels like one of these two familiar combinations will face the Wallabies in Brisbane rather than a mixture.
“Yeah, but we started with Bundee and Sione,” said Farrell. “They’ve been carrying that partnership on in training also. We’re one squad, people swapping in and out the whole time, so we’re seeing different combinations the whole time.
“You’d say that this is a settled one, but there’s still a different team to what they’re used to playing with. So no, I wouldn’t say it’s just about a settled partnership. It’s giving them an opportunity to play together that’s going to be interesting. Others will get a chance on Saturday as well.”
