Andy Farrell happy to have British & Irish Lions selection headaches for Wallabies Test
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Henry Pollock winning a line-out for the British & Irish Lions during their 48-0 win over a combined Australia-New Zealand side at Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, Australia, on July 12.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
ADELAIDE – British & Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell is welcoming the selection headache posed by their demolition of a combined Australia-New Zealand side in Adelaide, saying it was “exactly what we want”.
In their final assignment before the first Test against the Wallabies in Brisbane on July 19, the Lions were clinical in a 48-0 rout, running in eight tries, three of them by Scotland wing Duhan van der Merwe.
Ben White, Sione Tuipulotu, Scott Cummings, Ronan Kelleher and Henry Pollock also crossed the line at Adelaide Oval.
After an upset loss to Argentina in Dublin, then five straight wins since arriving in Australia, Farrell must now decide who makes his starting XV for the business end of the tour.
Plenty of players put their hand up on July 12, with some tough calls now needed.
“That’s exactly what we want, people putting their hands up,” Farrell said. “I just said to the players that selection is going to be unbelievably difficult.
“That’s how it should be. I know that we’ve got a group that’s as cohesive as it gets and they’re all rowing together, no matter what, because it takes a squad to win a series.
“The lads who get picked in the first Test, they’ll be the lucky ones to represent the group, but they’ve also got to earn the right to keep that jersey for the second Test as well.”
While a handful of positions will be locked in, injury worries have complicated matters.
Centre Garry Ringrose has been ruled out of the first Test after being placed in concussion protocols, while hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie is a doubt after a head knock.
Ringrose and Irish teammate Bundee Aki were shaping up as the likely midfield pair, but it now seems Scottish counterparts Huw Jones and Tuipulotu may get the nod.
With concern lingering over a knee injury to Scot Blair Kinghorn, Ireland’s Hugo Keenan did his chances no harm in Adelaide of starting at fullback against Australia.
Who wears the No. 7 shirt is another conundrum for Farrell, with Jac Morgan of Wales, England’s Tom Curry and Ireland’s Josh van der Flier all in the mix.
Meanwhile, on July 12, a rampant Ireland ran in 16 tries as they crushed second-tier Portugal 106-7 in Lisbon, the biggest victory in their 150-year history and also their first time beyond 100 points.
Northern Hemisphere rivals England needed a late try from scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet to edge out Argentina 22-17 in San Juan to claim the two-Test series 2-0.
World champions South Africa overcame a first-half red card for No. 8 Jasper Wiese to beat Italy 45-0 in Gqeberha and complete a 2-0 Test series victory. AFP, REUTERS
