Andy Farrell sounded marginally more optimistic about Joe McCarthy than Mack Hansen being fit and in consideration for the Lions’ second Test against Australia in Melbourne next Saturday following the tourists’ 24-19 win over the First Nations and Pasifika XV at Marvel Stadium on Tuesday.
Hansen was ruled out of the Lions’ first Test win last Saturday in Brisbane and this latest midweek win due to the foot injury he suffered in his starring role against an Invitational XV in Adelaide a week previously, and still hasn’t trained this week.
“Mack’s progressing. Whether he’s progressing quick enough we’ll see towards the end of the week,” said Farrell, which did not sound too optimistic for the Connacht winger’s chances of being in the mix for next Saturday.
Andy Farrell's Lions fire the first shot in Australia
By contrast, with regard to McCarthy, the Lions head coach said: “He hasn’t trained so far but with the nature of the week, which is a bit different, we will see how he is for Thursday.” Asked whether he thought the Leinster and Irish lock could be contention to retain his place, Farrell said: “Hopefully.”
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One would also venture that as McCarthy contributed significantly to such a strong performance by the starting pack in the first Test, they need for him to train on Thursday, as Wednesday will be an down day as such.
“Everyone’s always different,” admitted Farrell. “How they progress through whatever, getting through the next stages and stuff. Sometimes something flairs up and it might take a day or two to settle down and then off they go. So we’ll stay open-minded about those two.”
Farrell has been handed another welcome selection dilemma by Garry Ringrose producing another solid outing after replacing the unfortunate Darcy Graham at the end of the first quarter due to an ankle injury which will require a scan. “He is devastated, but to become a Lions and score a try as well, he should be unbelievably proud of himself,” said Farrell.
Having been ruled out of the first Test with concussion, Ringrose must have every chance of being named to start at outside centre when Farell unveils his hand on Thursday afternoon, Thursday morning Ireland time, and this in turn could see Bundee Aki promoted as well.
Asked about Ringrose, the head coach said: “I thought he performed really well, so some real good positives as far as that is concerned. Jamie Osborne, for his first time wearing the shirt, I thought he was very good. So were others. Ben White has not been around for too long, I thought he controlled the game really well. There were some nice individual performances out there.”
Farrell also confirmed that Marcus Smith passed his HIA
“He is fine, he has passed everything.”
Even so, as well as Ringrose and Aki, both Blair Kinghorn and the coach’s son, Owen, proved their wellbeing with 80-minute shifts despite the Scottish fullback coughing up two intercepts, the first of which proved costly and pivotal.
Farrell junior showed some classy touches in his 20th Lions outing, albeit his father was as uncomfortable as ever when asked to analyse his son’s latest performance.
“Some good things obviously, a nice little chip off the left peg,” he said with a smile in reference to his son’s left-footed grubber for the opening try by Osborne. “Some nice touches on the ball as well but always work-ons, there are always work-ons.”
Farrell junior said: “We were delighted to get the win in the end. There were things we addressed at half-time and some things we put a lot of effort into that might get seen as little things, but ended up winning us that game. So delighted with that. On Lions tours there are all sorts of players you look forward to playing with and Garry would definitely be one of them.”
As this was Farrell junior’s first time captaining the Lions, it also led to the Kodak moment of father and son alongside each other at the post-match media briefing in their capacity as head coach and captain.
Farrell senior said this was something they might reflect upon after the third Test but for the moment he was trying to maintain a businesslike, coach-captain relationship, rather than father-son.
Farrell senior admitted he has a number of selection headaches.
“It has always been about the squad and we will assess where everyone is at. It is a different week for us with this game in between Test matches. We get to have a day off tomorrow and roll into work Thursday/Friday and see where we are at.
As well as Ringrose and maybe Aki in midfield, it’s likely that Kinghorn could come into the matchday 23 at either fullback, wing or as a replacement, and in tandem with Farrell junior that would cover all bases as well as giving the team some more bite and leadership in the last quarter after the Wallabies had the better bench impact in the first Test.
The head coach admitted that the Liions will need to be a good deal better in “plenty” of areas if they are to win the second Test and clinch a series win for what he said will be the biggest game of their lives.
“There will have to be plenty to get to the point where a win’s on the cards because we know that Australia are going to be ... can you put a percentage on it, it’s going to be a lot. If you can’t get up for what’s coming, we’re all in the wrong place. To me, this is the biggest game of our lives, every one of us, that’s part of our squad so we’ll make sure that we address the week like that.”
