While there was palpable respect for the Joe Schmidt factor, and no doubt it may play a part in the week to come, the Lions’ First Test victory in Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium had Andy Farrell’s stamp all over it.
Here was the latest example of Farrell’s capacity to have a team emotionally supercharged yet not over-aroused, to impose themselves physically on opponents, to dominate the collisions and the breakdown, and to envelop them with aggressive line speed.
It was hard, aggressive, focused rugby, the Lions cranking up their intensity in response to Max Jorgensen’s 28th-minute try out of nothing to utterly dominate the Wallabies and effectively win the First Test with some smart yet brutal and clinical finishing.
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From the outset, the Lions’ performance and the vast swathes of those clad in red among the 52,250 crowd, perhaps more than half, served to subdue the home team and supporters alike. Farrell had clearly wanted his side to spring out of the blocks and they duly delivered.
RM Block
“I felt we started the game pretty well, certainly physically, and that gave us a bit of momentum into how we played that first half on the back of that. Our game control was pretty good. I have no doubt in the second half Australia would have been pretty pleased with their physicality as well. Each game is different and the second game will take care of itself,” the Lions head coach said after their 27-19 win.
All of Farrell’s marginal calls were vindicated, not least those of Tadhg Beirne and Tom Curry, who set the tone from the first minute when the latter stopped Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii in his tracks and the former latched on to the ball for Finn Russell to open the scoring. The pair were immense.
In light of whatever debate those selections may have generated, Farrell seems to have wound up both of them.
“I read all that. It was interesting wasn’t it?” said Farrell when asked of those picks being justified. “What do you think? Immense, absolutely immense. Big game players who were probably challenged by a good few. I think it told a story, Tom Curry put in some really nice shots defensively and Tadhg Beirne got the turnover very early doors and set the tone really and I don’t think it stopped there, it carried on the same the whole game.
“Jack Conan’s carrying was very much on the front foot, so those three guys I am sure they will be delighted with the way they responded to selection.”
One always suspected that while they played with plenty of width in the warm-up games, the Lions would be much more direct when it came toe Test series, and so it proved.
“You could see the difference in our game,” said Farrell. “As I’ve said all along. The hardest part about any team coming together is gelling in attack because it takes a lot of cohesion for that to happen.
“We are trying to find out about ourselves in that regard, but as far as the game control and how you play Test matches that’s something we’ve always been working on in the background and (been) conscious of. That’s a given, really, for what Test match rugby should be about because you respect the game.”
The Wallabies’ strong response to falling 24-5 behind, ultimately only losing by eight points, serves as notice of their likely intent when they face a win-or-bust second Test. It may also suit Farrell’s narrative this week too as the Lions may be better served by not being as ruthless as they could have been.
“I thought we let them back into the game. It doesn’t really matter if you think the game is won or lost. I thought we let them back into the game with regards to a lack of discipline in the second half. That gave them a bit of a sniff to get back in the game physically,” said Farrell.
“When you give a few penalties away, or you are under warnings, or there is a loose offload or carry, that pressures you a bit and we started losing a few collisions. I believe that is a fantastic place to be because there is so much more in us.”
He said Joe McCarthy was hauled off early in the second half due to plantar fasciitis, adding: “It was niggling away at him there. We got him off. Hopefully we got him off in time.”
Meanwhile, Wallabies head coach Schmidt confirmed Rob Valetini and Will Skelton have passed fitness tests and will be available for next week’s Test in Melbourne.
The former Ireland head coach also refuted that the Wallabies had been disrespected in the build-up.
“No, I look at the strength and depth they’ve got. Their coaching team, obviously I’ve got a lot of admiration for a lot of people that I’ve worked with in the past and I knew they’d come with a really good plan to exert a lot of pressure on us,” Schmidt said.
“I just think that this time last year we probably would have melted, but I love the way this team is developing and we’ve got a very tough start to the season.
“We’ve got two more Lions Tests, then two Tests away in South Africa, and I just think it’s going to be a really fantastic period for us to demonstrate some growth and to tighten some of the connections of the group that we’ve got.”
