Brian Moore reveals the Lions selection which leaves him ‘more concerned’ amid Owen Farrell ‘speculation’
British and Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell and chairman Ieuan Evans, and Racing 92 playmaker Owen Farrell.
Brian Moore insists that there are bigger worries in Andy Farrell’s British and Irish Lions squad than the fly-half situation, but he has warned the head coach about the potential consequences of picking his son.
The head coach named a 38-man squad to tour Australia last week but it did not include the Racing 92 playmaker, who has struggled with injury this season.
Andy Farrell has, however, left two places available for those that can prove their fitness between now and the end of the season.
Three fly-halves in Lions squad already
That has therefore potentially opened the door for Owen despite the Lions already taking three fly-halves in Finn Russell, Fin Smith and Marcus Smith.
Moore does not appear to like the position the Lions boss has taken, though, and believes that it could cause issues further down the line.
“It is an honour to be selected for any Lions tour, but Test appearances make the experience complete. Every selected player will have this at the back of his mind from now until the first Test squad is named,” he wrote in his Telegraph column.
“All this has been made more opaque by Andy Farrell’s decision to leave open two places to give what he calls ‘wiggle room’ to continue to look at ‘a few guys that are trying to play back into fitness and form’.
“I understand the need for flexibility, but this decision has to be balanced against the uncertainty it brings to the squad psyche. Farrell and his team will have planned the methods through which they intend to mould players from four different countries into a united unit.
“They will understand the difficulties that players have accepting a secondary role, having been used to being a first choice for most of their careers.”
Farrell has not explicitly stated the names that are at the top of the list to fill those spots, but Owen has naturally been linked.
“Most of the speculation around the ‘mystery two’ has naturally been about Owen Farrell, Andy Farrell’s son,” Moore added.
“Farrell snr is far too professional to allow personal issues to intrude on what would now be a controversial pick, given Farrell jnr’s injury-hit season with Racing.
“If Owen is to be one of the two choices, his selection could have already been made and justified by his abundant experience at Test level and of his previous tours with the Lions. A later selection just complicates things further.”
Back-row issue?
Moore believes that the Lions are well stocked at 10 and duly believes that the biggest worry should be in the back-row.
Andy Farrell has picked plenty of opensides but there are few natural blindsides and number eights. Although Jack Conan can do both and the likes of Tom Curry and Jac Morgan have played at six several times at Test level, there is perhaps a lack of depth in that slot.
Locks Ollie Chessum and Tadhg Beirne are certainly options there but their best work tends to be done in the second-row.
“I would be more concerned about the back row, given that they routinely record the highest work rates of all players during games,” Moore wrote.
“Another specialist blindside flanker would give Farrell more options when it comes to balancing the back row and doing so from a position of choice rather than reaction.
“If Tadhg Beirne or Ollie Chessum, who have both played in the number six jersey, are being considered as possible blindsides, they ideally need to have played in their back-row units for a couple of games before they play in a Test match.”
