Eddie Jones: What sets Owen Farrell apart, and why Andy Farrell prefers Tom Curry over Morgan and Van der Flier
British and Irish Lions fly-half Owen Farrell and an inset of ex-England coach Eddie Jones.
Eddie Jones reflects on the British and Irish Lions’ victory over the First Nations and Pasifika XV and looks ahead to the second Test against the Wallabies in his latest column.
FNP Shine
I was fascinated to watch the last midweek game against FNP on Tuesday and to see just how much Totai Kefu and his coaching staff got right in terms of how they took it to the Lions.
They really challenged the midweek side physically, massive heavy bodies at the breakdown, super disruptive and very clever in the manner they tried to break down the Lions’ attack through hard blitzing and real commitment in defence.
The Wallabies could learn a lot from their approach; Aussie sport is all about physicality and aggression. It’s the hallmark of our sport – if you go back to the halcyon days of Steve Waugh’s great cricket team around the 00s, they were one of the most intimidating sides, both mentally and physically, you could ever encounter and that’s the way of the great Wallaby sides of the past too.
Clive Woodward used to say when he played club rugby in Sydney, the sheer physicality was a level above anything he’d played outside the Test arena and it’s essential that the Wallabies revert to those qualities in the Second Test.
FNP had some really big bodies hitting the Lions from all angles; Lukhan Salakai-Loto was massive, as were Charlie Gamble and huge Seru Uru. Taniela Tupou pushed himself harder than I’ve seen for a long time and I struggle to understand why these guys are not in the wider Test preparation squad given their performances thus far.
In the case of Uru and Salakai-Loto, it’s almost impossible to fast-track them effectively from the FNP to a Test in five days; that means only one training session and that’s too disruptive. However, Tupou does things other tightheads can’t do, and given his familiarity with the Wallaby systems, I’d be asking him to go hard for a half and do his thing on Saturday.
Farrell Influence
On that FNP game, I think you saw precisely why Owen Farrell was brought into this Lions side and without him, I’m not sure the midweek side would have got over the line in such a close game.
People simply don’t understand what Owen brings to team environments; the first thing is his coaching ability- and importantly, his on-pitch coaching. He sees things with the eye of an analyst; he’s able to adapt team tactics and structures in real time, a really rare quality that very few players possess.
He has an aura that accepts nothing other than total commitment from those around him, making players double their effort off the ball, purely through his own personal example. And best of all, he brings an aggressive edge to any team he plays in, you simply know that he’s not going to budge an inch, and when you play alongside him, you yourself know that 100% physicality is the default minimum he expects.
He showed some really high skills in that match; the chip for Jamie Osborne was exquisite and demonstrates my point regarding his on-pitch intelligence. The double pump show and go for Duhan van der Merwe was equally superb; these are simple skills, but they’re delivered at pace, under pressure against a rushing defence and Faz’s ability to nail those basics so accurately sets him apart.
Regarding the noise around his selection, yes, I understand his form was lacking coming into this, but when you have a record like his, it’s a low-risk call. The question the doubters need to ask is ‘has he made a difference?’ – and, on the basis of the FNP match the answer is a resounding yes. He ensured that they got over the line- a loss would have damped the spirit of the squad and players like him in the bottom half of the Test selection group is what makes the Lions so resilient.
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Win Vital
A win for Australia is vital on Saturday for the credibility and interest of the series. But unless Australia change up their physicality and their game plan. The return of Rob Valentini will be key, but alongside him, I’d bring back Will Skelton, who was fit for Test one, but not selected, and Tupou.
I’d also add in Angus Bell, who was world-class last season and a far better long-term bet than James Slipper, a man I hold in the highest regard but is nearing the end of his distinguished journey.
I’d analogise this to what Bob Dwyer did in 1989 when he created a ‘generation change’ and he capped a young Tony Daly, Phil Kearns and Ewan McKenzie to add fire against the Lions- Joe Schmidt can do precisely the same.
Tactically, much more physicality is needed. The Wallabies need to look at how FNP targeted the 9/10 axis, bring real breakdown fire and get the Lions on the back foot at the collision. There’s plenty of gas and finishing power in their backline and if those collisions fall their way, we’ve already seen they can score tries.
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Lions Improvements
I don’t expect to see many changes, if any, for the Lions. There’s a lot of calls for players like Jac Morgan, Josh van der Flier and others to get their chance, but the big difference between the likes of those guys and the likes of Tom Curry, Tadhg Beirne and others, is that the Test team boys are winning the physical contest. If you consider the art of the jackal, that comes as a secondary opportunity if you’ve lost the collision or if there’s an isolation situation.
The primary moment is winning the physical and that in turn is what creates the platform for attack. Jac Morgan is a tireless worker, a real asset as a leader, and a great snaffler. Henry Pollock is going to be a great player, world-class already in transition attack, but against FNP, both of those guys struggled with the heat of their opponents in the collision and lost the primary hit far too many times.
In the first Test, Ellis Genge, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong were incredible in those short, hard run situations. Curry’s ability to clear or resist the first contact is peerless, and his presence completely dominated the Aussie trio. However, one concern I have is that the Lions lacked that big, heavy phase carrier. Jack Conan did a lot of heavy lifting, but maybe Bundee Aki may come back into the reckoning to hit up on the gainline through traffic.
Ollie Chessum is slated to replace Joe McCarthy and he’s another who makes metres through contact, and I’d bring Scott Cummings in on the bench to add his physicality too; truly one of the standouts of this tour so far.
I’d retain Ben Earl for the carrying I mentioned, but at hooker, the Lions fell apart in the lineout when Sheehan went off, so despite his shift on Tuesday, I could see Jamie George in for his throwing accuracy and relationship with Maro Itoje.
I might also consider Ben White, a man I believe has been one of the unsung stars of the tour. His speed to the breakdown and his choice of option at exit has really defined his play. He makes the right decisions time and time again, but given his 80 minutes yesterday, that might be too big an ask.
All in all, this Test is pivotal for Schmidt and the Wallabies. It has huge relevance to the future of Aussie Union and it’s key that the team capture the hearts and minds of the public. I want to see a massive performance, and if the Wallabies get that gainline and collision dominance, they target the halfback continuity and then take their chances; they have every chance of pulling off an upset.
