British and Irish Lions: Five players with a point to prove as key men look to ‘force Andy Farrell’s hand’
From left to right: Andy Farrell, Henry Pollock and Finn Russell
The British and Irish Lions begin their Australian adventure with a tough clash against the Western Force, with a number of players keen to lay down a marker ahead of the Wallabies Test series next month.
Andy Farrell has made 13 changes to the side that lost 28-24 to Argentina last Friday night in Dublin, the majority of which are Prem and URC finalists, but with rotation comes opportunity.
11 of the players drafted into Farrell’s 23 for the clash in Perth missed last weekend’s game entirely, while Tomos Williams, Henry Pollock, Pierre Schoeman, Elliot Daly, Tadhg Furlong and Mack Hansen come into the starting line-up after strong cameos from the bench at the Aviva.
But who has the biggest point to prove this weekend against the Force? Well, here are our key picks.
Finn Russell
Mercurial fly-half Finn Russell has long been seen as the de facto number 10, but this is his first chance to prove he can steer this Lions team to victory. While the attack might have been a touch clunky and error-strewn at the Aviva last weekend, it showed signs of ambition, pace and flair, which is exactly what Russell likes to play with. Don’t get us wrong, his time at Bath has added a lot more control into his game, but Russell is still a very attack-minded player who aims to consistently attack into space whenever it presents itself. Furthermore, with the competition so close at fly-half heading into the Test series against the Wallabies, this is a great chance for him to lay down a marker if the Lions come out on top.
Henry Pollock
The ‘bolter’ of the tour is one of a handful of players backing up from the Dublin ding-dong, but that in itself proves how highly thought of he is within this Lions group. Farrell has already come out and said he backs Pollock to go and impress in the starting side, but his inclusion at number eight, a week after also coming off the bench to slot in at the base of the scrum, is also quite telling given the lack of a clear front-runner here. Pollock is one of those players you do just need to get on the pitch in whatever guise, given his unique skillset, but if he can get a head-start on the other possible number eight’s, it could see him worm his way into the Test side.
British and Irish Lions: Andy Farrell backs ‘hungry’ Henry Pollock to be ‘real point of difference’
Tomos Williams
After a really strong cameo off the bench, Welshman Tomos Williams has been given a shot in the starting side and it could be yet another way for him to boost his credentials moving into the Wallabies series. The scrum-half possibly came into the tour as the third-choice nine, behind Jamison Gibson-Park and Alex Mitchell, but if he can back up his impressive display from last week with another one against the Force, he could easily propel himself up the pecking order. Williams’ desire to play at speed and his delicious passing skills should also allow Russell to play the sort of game he wants to as well, which again could bode well for both men.
Pierre Schoeman
Following Ellis Genge’s mesmeric performance and Farrell’s familiarity with Andrew Porter, this again serves as a good chance for Pierre Schoeman to lay down his own Test match credentials moving forward. The Scotland front-rower has all the hallmarks of a solid Test Lion – a seriously strong scrummager who also gets himself about in the loose too – but with competition so fierce in the loosehead department, he will need to hit the ground running on Saturday if he wants to leave a mark on Farrell heading towards July 19th.
Scott Cummings
He’s flown under the radar, given the quality at lock, but this is another good chance for Scott Cummings to prove himself on the biggest stage. The Scotland star was pretty solid in all facets of his game last weekend, particularly in defence with some bruising tackles, and that’s the sort of thing that will get you noticed by Farrell. Lock is also one of the toughest spots to nail down, given Maro Itoje is the tour captain and Tadhg Beirne commands a Test spot, whatever position he plays in, but if Cummings can have another good game, he could force Farrell’s hand.
