Conor Murray hails ‘Test animal’ Owen Farrell but overlooks him in British and Irish Lions team for Wallabies showdown
British and Irish Lions fly-half Owen Farrell and an inset of Conor Murray.
British and Irish Lions great Conor Murray has overlooked Owen Farrell for a place in his matchday squad for the first game against Australia at Suncorp Stadium.
A veteran of three tours, Murray recently hung up his Test boots, but few have better insight into the touring team than the legendary Irish international.
Not only has he toured on three occasions but also worked closely with so many of the players in the squad as well as head coach Andy Farrell and revealed the British and Irish Lions boss’s uncomplicated selection brief: ‘pick the best XV and the most impactful reserves.’
Who Conor Murray would pick
Murray dedicated much of his latest Irish Times column to praising his former teammate Jamison Gibson-Park, who he believes to be the nailed-on starter for the British and Irish Lions in the Test matches, with his Man of the Match performance against the Brumbies solidifying his place in the squad.
He expects that Finn Russell will partner Gibson-Park in the halfbacks but has not found place in his matchday 23 for Owen Farrell following his call-up to cover the injured Elliot Daly.
“Other Lions are still searching for that mid-summer spark. And time is running out for late arrival Owen Farrell to make the match day squad in Brisbane,” Murray wrote.
“Farrell’s accuracy off the kicking tee could yet decide the entire series, but I’d start Finn Russell at 10 with Fin Smith earning the back-up slot after how he performed for England and Northampton this season.
“Smith would understandably feel hard done by if his predecessor in the England 10 jersey made the Lions 23.”
Still, Murray understands why the ex-England captain has been called into the squad, pointing to the fact that he, Dan Carter, Stephen Larkham, Jonny Wilkinson and Joel Stransky are the only players to slot drop goals in crunch World Cup matches.
“In saying all that, rugby people know why Andy Farrell called up Owen Farrell. It’s a cliché but Owen is a ‘Test animal’. He thrives under pressure, even if he has not played any international rugby since the 2023 World Cup,” he continued.
He added: “Russell’s reliable goal-kicking should keep him ahead of Farrell and Smith but come the second and third Tests, there is no better back-up than a 33-year-old on his fourth Lions tour who can play 10 or 12.”
Murray has included ten Ireland internationals in his selection for the first Test match, if it were named today, with Gibson-Park joined by Hugo Keenan, Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki and James Lowe in the backs. In the pack, he has picked Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, Joe McCarthy, Josh van der Flier and Jack Conan.
There are four further Irish stars on the bench in Andrew Porter, Finlay Bealham, Tadhg Beirne and Mack Hansen.
Conor Murray’s Squad for the first Test v Australia
Starting XV: 15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 James Lowe, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Jack Conan, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Ollie Chessum, 5 Maro Itoje (c), 4 Joe McCarthy, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Dan Sheehan, 1 Ellis Geng
Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Andrew Porter, 18 Finlay Bealham, 19 Tadhg Beirne, 20 Jac Morgan, 21 Alex Mitchell, 22 Fin Smith, 23 Mack Hansen
