The two British & Irish Lions tours I went on as a player in 2017 and 2021 both started with a bit of rustiness – as Andy Farrell’s class of 2025 did last Friday night.
It feels to me like there has been quite a bit of doom and gloom about the Lions’ defeat by Argentina in Dublin. But I don’t share in that mood.
Yes, of course, Farrell and his players would have wanted to win. As professional sportsmen, success is your currency so there would have been understandable disappointment.
The Lions made too many errors against the Pumas, forcing passes when they weren’t on and coughing up possession as a result. That was the reason they lost the game.
Some off the offloads thrown by the players were crazy. There were nine in total which were unsuccessful. That’s way too many. Normally, you’d be looking for that number to be two or three across 80 minutes. The players will need to take individual accountability for those. And knowing Farrell as I do having worked with him, he will be saying in no uncertain terms that has to stop.
From my experience as a No 10, the hardest part of a Lions tour is gelling a team together into a coherent attacking system.
The Lions suffered defeat in their first outing against Argentina but it is not all doom and gloom
Andy Farrell will be cross with some of the outrageous offload attempts his side attempted
On the evidence of the Argentina game, the Lions have done that well. I really liked the look of their attack shape. It had a nice structure to it.
As a team, they made 150 carries and beat 39 defenders against Argentina. These are promising numbers.
If they continue to work on that and cut out the unnecessary offloads, they have the makings of a very, very good team.
It was clear to me watching the Argentina game the Lions are working off an Ireland-type system. They tried to manipulate the opposition defence and create one-on-ones off every phase. There were undoubtedly plenty of positives. The Lions used two main pods of forwards in the middle of the park. They operated what we call in rugby a 1-3-3-1 formation – one designed to create space across the field and give multiple options. It’s what Farrell has used as head coach of Ireland to have so much success.
The 1-3-3-1 is a common way of playing today. It breaks the eight forwards up into four separate groups across the field, first with a single ball carrier and then with two groups of three providing pod options. With the two pods in the middle of the park against Argentina, the Lions had Fin Smith as No 10 and their centres attached to each.
That meant the forwards could either carry forward, tying in the defence, or play a pull-back pass to the likes of Smith who could then unleash the outside backs.
I thought Smith had a good game and created plenty of chances for his team-mates.
Getting this system up and running is not that easy. So, for me, the Lions have done the hard work already. I saw the makings of a strong Lions DNA against Argentina.
Fin Smith created plenty of chances for his team-mates and played well despite the result
HOW FARRELL’S PODS WORK:
Against Argentina the Lions used a 1-3-3-1 formation, where the eight forwards are split into four pods.
The key to the system are the two pods of three forwards which are in the middle of the field. Both pods have backs (usually the No 10 and a ball-playing centre, for example the No 12) attached to them. That means the forward carrier in that pod can either carry into contact therefore tying in defenders or pass the ball back to the back linked to the pod who can then spread the ball wide where there should be space.
The system gives the defence a headache as they don’t know what’s coming – drive or the pass.
The Lions did it well against Argentina. On several occasions they got the ball out the back behind the two pods of three well, creating space.
This is the pod system that Andy Farrell is setting up the Lions to execute
It wasn’t like I looked at the Dublin game and thought “Jesus, what on earth have they been doing in training?” That wasn’t the case at all. With the 1-3-3-1 formation, the more phases you keep the ball, the more likely you are to score or earn a penalty.
That’s what Ireland do so well. They retain possession for long, long periods, stressing the defence until it cracks. The Lions didn’t do that against Argentina, not because of any weaknesses in their system but because they threw poor offloads that just weren’t on.
Tidy that up and they will soon be in business in Australia. The Lions will spend the first few days of this week acclimatising after arriving Down Under ahead of facing Western Force in their first tour game on Saturday. After losing to Argentina, they will be desperate to win.
I think it’s a good game for the Lions to have first. On paper, it’s their weakest opposition of the tour. The Lions should get a W. But as important as the result is the performance.
I’m sure Farrell will make a raft of changes, with his team in Perth likely to be dominated by Leinster players – most of whom didn’t play in Dublin. I’d expect to see Finn Russell at No 10, with Jamison Gibson-Park and Hugo Keenan also in the back-line if fit.
I was a bit confused by a couple of the selections for Argentina. With Huw Jones not ready and Garry Ringrose having had limited time in camp, Farrell was almost forced to play Bundee Aki and Sione Tuipulotu together in midfield. But I thought that centre pairing was too similar. I also found it strange Elliot Daly wasn’t considered to start.
He can play full-back, wing and outside centre and provides a real point of difference. Daly is on his third Lions tour. He might be on the fringes with England, but for me he’s an excellent player who provides a left-foot kicking option and pace in the outside channels. He can also kick goals from long range. He’ll be a key figure throughout the tour.
Marcus Smith is not a natural full-back and Farrell will want Blair Kinghorn back in
The Lions will be looking to bounce back against the Western Force in their next game
I don’t think Marcus Smith has a chance of starting the Australia Tests at full-back – the position he played against Argentina. Marcus Smith is a brilliant attacking threat. I loved being in the same Lions squad as him in South Africa in 2021. He’s giving it everything at No 15, but I just don’t think he’s suited to the position. Full-back is a bit of an issue for the Lions.
Blair Kinghorn is still on duty with Toulouse in France and won’t be in Australia until after this weekend when he’ll be playing in the TOP14 final. Keenan has also had a knock.
Farrell will be desperate for him to be back fit as soon as possible. I wouldn’t be surprised if Daly gets a run at full-back soon with Marcus Smith’s next appearance likely to come at No 10. We all know that’s the position he wants to play in – he told Mail Sport as much in an interview last week. My experience of Lions tours under Warren Gatland is that each player would get a good run in one of the first three games.
I’m sure Farrell will do similar. So, while Russell is likely to start against Western Force and there will be changes, the Lions can’t use rotation as an excuse for poor performance.
And I’m sure they won’t. There is plenty to be positive about. Losing to Argentina isn’t the end of the world. Far from it in fact.
Cut out the silly errors and the Lions are well on their way to having a successful tour.
