British and Irish Lions great: Andy Farrell’s side ‘fell short’ despite series victory after ‘strange ending’
British and Irish Lions players after series victory and former hooker Brian Moore.
Former England and Lions star Brian Moore believes that Andy Farrell’s team failed to reach their potential despite claiming a series triumph in Australia.
The Lions defeated the Wallabies 2-1 after winning the first two Tests 27-19 and 29-26 before succumbing in the final match in Sydney.
Farrell’s charges were completely outplayed on Saturday, a week after they managed to somehow snatch a victory in Melbourne thanks to a last-minute Hugo Keenan try.
Although Moore credited the Lions for getting the job done, the ex-hooker felt that their performances could have been much better.
‘No stranger end’
“There has been no stranger end to a British and Irish Lions tour than that of last Saturday in Sydney,” he wrote in this Telegraph column.
“After a break for potentially dangerous storm weather, the Lions ended the series well beaten in a game that showed what Australia might have achieved had they had the full services of Noah Lolesio, Will Skelton and Rob Valetini.
“If you doubt the influence of just those three players, imagine the Lions without Finn Russell, Maro Itoje and player of the series Tadhg Beirne.
“Andy Farrell and his cohorts deserve much praise for achieving what is still a rare goal in winning a Lions series, but the residual feeling for the tour is one of falling short.”
Selections are always discussed and inevitably after the final Test defeat there were questions as to whether Farrell got it right.
“The heights that might have been achieved had the Lions played to their full potential were not reached,” Moore wrote.
“There will always be questions – what would have happened had Blair Kinghorn been available from the start of the tour?
“Should Ellis Genge have started all the Tests? Would he have put the Lions on the front foot and denied Australia the ‘go forward’ possession that enabled them to take leads in the second and third Tests?”
Lions tour charm
Moore summed up the underwhelming nature of the series, certainly on the field, but with stadiums packed out and the Lions supporters travelling in their numbers, it still retains its massive popularity.
“In the end, the thing that counts for the Lions’ brand is that the tour again captured the attention of their fans who travelled in their tens of thousands,” he added.
“They were matched by the supporters of their hosts and together they produced a record-breaking attendance for a Lions’ Test match in Melbourne. Commercially the tour has been a success, and in the end, this is the defining factor.”
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