One can hardly recall a more muted build-up to a British and Irish Lions series, even the usual pre-Test tedium of a phoney war of words failing to erupt into anything resembling a conflict. About the closest we’ve come to a controversy in these pre-Test weeks has been when Joe Schmidt made a slightly clumsy comment about the origin of the Lions’ selected centres for the defeat to Argentina – a remark immediately rowed back and apologised for by the Australia head coach.
It is not to say that the Lions and Wallabies will be anything other than the fiercest of foes when they take to the turf of Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, but the flames of rivalry have hardly been flickering in the days before this first Test. Both Lions boss Andy Farrell and counterpart Schmidt were given the opportunity to stoke the fires two days out from matchday and each declined, presenting a straight bat. Indeed, Schmidt almost seemed to take on a deferential tone when discussing the tourists. “I’d like to think we can put a game together that at least can keep the British and Irish Lions pretty honest on the day,” the Wallabies boss almost muttered. They call Suncorp Stadium “The Cauldron”, but the pot is yet to bubble, let alone boil.
Even the more outlandish declarations have been founded in something like fact. Henry Pollock, the British and Irish Lions’ youngest cub, is used to causing a stir and looked initially to have done so last weekend when he declared the tourists’ ambition to be remembered as the best Lions team ever by beating the Wallabies 3-0. Now the 20-year-old Pollock, whose first proper Lions memories are somewhat depressingly drawn from the 2017 trip to New Zealand, is perhaps not best placed to assess the current crop’s place in history, and the achievements of unbeaten 1974 tourists in South Africa will surely not be surpassed, but a first Wallabies whitewash since 1904 may be on the cards.
This is, it is worth pointing out, a Lions series with a difference. It is not to overly insult Australia to say that they are comfortably the weakest opposition for the tourists of the professional era. Since South Africa’s returning to the tour itinerary in 1997, the Lions have faced the reigning world champions on five of their seven trips; the sole exceptions are in 2005, where they faced a nascent All Blacks side that would go on to become the most dominant in history, and 2013, when they encountered a Wallabies team that would become World Cup finalists in two years. A team of rich talent risks being overlooked, but Australia are ranked sixth in the world, finished bottom in last year’s Rugby Championship and made an embarrassing exit from their last major tournament – to describe them as anything other than underdogs would be incorrect.
That puts the Lions in a different psychological state than is usual on these trips. The idea of these tours is of a band of Britain and Ireland’s best coming together at short notice to battle a Southern Hemisphere beast in their backyard, most often as outsiders. Instead, there will be great expectation from the travelling Sea of Red and those left on far-flung shores that the Lions live up to their declaration of intent on winning 3-0. Pollock’s public proclamation is one echoed in private by figures close to the camp, even if the level-headed Farrell is ensuring that the primary focus remains on each day as it comes. But there is a quiet, and entirely understandable, belief among the tourists that they can do something special.
There has been a sense that this is a Lions squad of plenty of very good players, if not many, as yet, regarded as truly great ones, but these quadrennial affairs are oftentimes where reputations are forged. For figures like Dan Sheehan and Finn Russell, Lions superstardom may lift them into a more illustrious strata each is already threatening to break into, a leap already made by Maro Itoje on his two previous trips.
It is a shame that Australia are not at full strength. The loss of Noah Lolesio, starting to finally look settled as a Test No 10, is a bitter blow both personally and for the collective. Tom Lynagh, starting for the first time in a Wallabies shirt, must cope with the pressure of proving that he is more than just a fabulous story 36 years on from his father’s star turn in the first Test of the 1989 series. “He’s got a quiet confidence about him,” Schmidt said, expressing a hope that it would radiate through his team.
Injuries to Rob Valetini and Will Skelton are significant blows for the opening encounter, with an assumption that the hosts’ game would be predicated on power further proved mislaid by the absence of Angus Bell from the starting side. A fast and loose game may suit a team brimming with athleticism that will compete hard on the floor.
Tactically, a duel between Schmidt and Farrell should fascinate. It was Schmidt who extended an opportunity to the Englishman to rebuild his reputation after a tough end to his stint as an assistant with his native nation, the New Zealander recognising the value that an outstanding coaching talent could provide Ireland. The pair formed an effective combination, with the apprentice emerging as a natural successor to the master, and Farrell has built impressively on the foundations laid by Schmidt. A hallmark of each man’s side is tactical ingenuity, and both have insisted that they have been holding plenty back. As Farrell explained: “You just know they are going to be thoroughly prepared and you know he’ll give them an inner confidence that they’ll be up for a series win as well.”
A first Test win may be a must for Australia for several reasons. Rugby union can struggle here to create cultural cut-through – in a Brisbane barbershop on Wednesday, the sound of the shaver was drowned out by talk of the NRL, AFL and Mitchell Starc’s brilliant burst against the West Indies rather than the looming start of this series. Australia loves a winner, mind – and an unexpected Wallabies success this Saturday would perhaps be exactly what this trip needs.
The Lions v Australia starts at 10am, with kick off at 11am, on Saturday 19 July on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action
