Stephen Jones hits out at Andy Farrell’s ‘incomplete’ Lions pack with too many Irishmen who showed ‘frightening inability’
British and Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell
Veteran rugby journalist Stephen Jones has criticised Andy Farrell for naming too many Ireland players in his British and Irish Lions squad, adding that it wasn’t a ‘good look’ to pack the selection announcement stage in London last Thursday with Irish coaches.
Farrell named 15 Ireland players in his squad of 38 for the upcoming tour to Australia.
However, with the selection announced just five days after Northampton dramatically eliminated Leinster from the Investec Champions Cup, Jones has warned that picking so many Irishmen for the Lions could backfire on Andy Farrell.
Writing in The Sunday Times, he claimed: “It is possible that an honest man like Andy Farrell should have avoided more of the pitfalls.
“The matter of Leinster (less than five days after their decline was confirmed in defeat against Northampton Saints) securing a massive 12 positions in the squad rang clashingly with many. The large number of Leinster forwards chosen were among the pack taken to the cleaners by the unrated Saints forwards.
“It is too easy to accuse Farrell of signing up too many Leinster players and too many Irishmen. It is perfectly feasible – indeed, it is true – that the more controversial selections include several Irish players, but it does not follow that Farrell was in any way intentionally biased.
“An almost frightening inability to handle Northampton…”
“But just as the time when the 1977 Lions chose far too many Welsh players, the dominance of one team that is not in itself in a successful period is a bad look.
“Nor was it, therefore, a good look for the Lions to pack the stage with members of the Irish coaching fraternity who will dominate on tour.
“Everyone can have an off day, of course. But too many of the chosen were in the Leinster pack who demonstrated an almost frightening inability to handle Northampton, who had been second-best to so many packs in the Premiership this season.
“There are four Irish front-row forwards in the selection for Australia, but even Tadhg Furlong found it difficult last week – up against Emmanuel Iyogun, who is a promising loosehead but has had real trouble up front. Furlong, even though he was clearly hampered by the refereeing, seemed to make no impression on Iyogun at all.
“Elsewhere, Joe McCarthy, a chosen Lion lock and one of my choices to surge in Australia, looked slow and ungainly, like some updated version of Lurch, the butler in The Addams Family. Furthermore, Jack Conan, the No8 named by Farrell in a threadbare position, could not even gain a starting place in Leinster’s failure.
“Perhaps the only saving grace among some real concern is that Farrell promised to name two more players when their fitness has been proven. If one of them is Owen, his son, then fine. Farrell Jr would be an asset.
“But far more important in a party that has only one No8 is that either Taulupe Faletau – a barmy omission so far – or Tom Willis, a younger and fresher version of Conan, should be drafted in. The Lions pack at present is incomplete.”
