The third Test ‘mistake’ that Brian Moore has warned Lions boss Andy Farrell not to make
Lions boss Andy Farrell celebrates last Saturday in Melbourne
Former British and Irish Lions hooker Brian Moore has moved the tour debate from last Saturday’s ruckgate incident in Melbourne onto who Andy Farrell should pick for next weekend’s series finale in Sydney.
Much of the talk coming out of last weekend’s series-clinching win has surrounded the Jac Morgan/Carlo Tizzano breakdown collision, which happened before Hugo Keenan scampered over for the try that nailed the 29-26 comeback victory.
Moore, though, has turned his attention to next Saturday’s game three and has offered Lions head coach Farrell what he feels is pertinent selection advice. The Lions will name their XV on Thursday, two days out from the match, and Moore has advised Farrell to go full bore and resist the temptation to make huge changes with the series already won.
In his latest Telegraph column, Moore, a veteran of the 2-1, 1989 series win in Australia, said: “The Lions must show the sort of bloody-minded ruthlessness that used to be associated with New Zealand, and is the hallmark of current world champions, South Africa. They need to stamp home their dominance with a convincing display on the final Test in Sydney on Saturday.
‘Temptation to make wholesale changes…’
“This represents a challenge that is often not understood. To dominate from a winning position is a necessary trait of good sides, but the mindset to do this is not easily summoned.
“Seeing the job through requires great self-discipline, requiring players to set their own standards when a task has been largely completed and they cannot lose a series. Central to this will be the selections made by Farrell for the final Test.
“There must be a temptation to make wholesale changes this coming Saturday. Farrell could, rightly, make the point that he has proved his critics wrong thus far. He could go further, saying it would be right to reward the loyalty of fringe squad players by allowing them to experience Lions’ Test rugby. That step would be a mistake.
There is much made about whether a player is a ‘Test animal’. If this means anything, it is that such players do not want to relinquish their positions to charitable selections, whatever support they receive from colleagues. That backing should be the minimum expected of a Lions squad member.
“Choosing the strongest possible squad for the third Test in the best way to show respect to Australian rugby and both sets of fans.”
Moore, of course, also mentioned in his column the hotly debated Morgan/Tizzano collision that dominated the second Test fallout. “I thought it was borderline but agree with most people who saw it as a rugby incident,” he wrote.
“Now that the crocodile roll has been outlawed as a way of removing players who get into the same position as Tizzano, it is almost impossible to see a way in which they can be cleared legitimately.
“If actions like Morgan’s are illegal, it means the whole ruck law around jackalling players needs to be reviewed to allow supporting players some way of removing their opponents.”
