2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia
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I've been pondering the recent calling up of Owen Farrell and I'm going to predict that, barring injury, he will be on the bench for the first test. His versatility will be mentioned more than once.
Note: This is my prediction, not what I want to happen. He has been a great servant for both England and the Lions, but his age, injury, lack of form and lack of recent game time, particularly international should count against his inclusion.
But I doubt it.
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I've been pondering the recent calling up of Owen Farrell and I'm going to predict that, barring injury, he will be on the bench for the first test. His versatility will be mentioned more than once.
Note: This is my prediction, not what I want to happen. He has been a great servant for both England and the Lions, but his age, injury, lack of form and lack of recent game time, particularly international should count against his inclusion.
But I doubt it.
@Catogrande get a shoulder on while he's at it
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@Bones said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
Yeah, Farrell is a bizarre replacement, can't really see a place in the squad for him, so maybe it's about leadership?
Bring your kid to work month
@MiketheSnow said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Bones said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
Yeah, Farrell is a bizarre replacement, can't really see a place in the squad for him, so maybe it's about leadership?
Bring your kid to work month
Bring your kid to 'mouth' month. .
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Saw a tweet yesterday that suggested that this Lions squad have been very happy clappy, very friendly etc and that Farrell brought some steel. I started to think about it and I couldn't think of a single player on tour who fits the Martin Johnson / Alan Wyn Jones mould. There might just be something in it.
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Gotta love league pundits. Right at the start of the NRLW season and they're still playing Rugby-is-shit dominoes.
@NTA said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
Gotta love league pundits. Right at the start of the NRLW season and they're still playing Rugby-is-shit dominoes.
I think Liam's take here is on the money.
They're the most insecure sporting fans I've ever seen.
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Saw a tweet yesterday that suggested that this Lions squad have been very happy clappy, very friendly etc and that Farrell brought some steel. I started to think about it and I couldn't think of a single player on tour who fits the Martin Johnson / Alan Wyn Jones mould. There might just be something in it.
@Dodge said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
Saw a tweet yesterday that suggested that this Lions squad have been very happy clappy, very friendly etc and that Farrell brought some steel. I started to think about it and I couldn't think of a single player on tour who fits the Martin Johnson / Alan Wyn Jones mould. There might just be something in it.
What steel is required? They've given out two absolute canings with no discernible reason this weekend against the Tahs will be any different.
Farrell brings nothing but an astonishing ability to not be held to account for his bullshit tackling technique. A technique that would've ended his career if other players were permitted to do the same to him with impunity.
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@Dodge said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
Saw a tweet yesterday that suggested that this Lions squad have been very happy clappy, very friendly etc and that Farrell brought some steel. I started to think about it and I couldn't think of a single player on tour who fits the Martin Johnson / Alan Wyn Jones mould. There might just be something in it.
What steel is required? They've given out two absolute canings with no discernible reason this weekend against the Tahs will be any different.
Farrell brings nothing but an astonishing ability to not be held to account for his bullshit tackling technique. A technique that would've ended his career if other players were permitted to do the same to him with impunity.
@antipodean said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Dodge said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
Saw a tweet yesterday that suggested that this Lions squad have been very happy clappy, very friendly etc and that Farrell brought some steel. I started to think about it and I couldn't think of a single player on tour who fits the Martin Johnson / Alan Wyn Jones mould. There might just be something in it.
What steel is required? They've given out two absolute canings with no discernible reason this weekend against the Tahs will be any different.
Farrell brings nothing but an astonishing ability to not be held to account for his bullshit tackling technique. A technique that would've ended his career if other players were permitted to do the same to him with impunity.
That's probably exactly why steel is required. Don't think the Super warm-ups will be of much concern to Andy Farrell. The Tests (and probably the ANZAC game) will be much tougher and Farrell might be worried his men are going in with too low expectations of their opposition.
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These are the players announced for the AUNZ team so far:
Aidan Ross
Joshua Fusitu’a
Brandon Paenga-Amosa
Jeffery Toomaga-Allen
Shannon Frizell
Pete Samu
Hoskins Sotutu
Folau Fakatava
David Havili
Ngani Laumape
AJ Lam
Marika Koroibete
Shaun StevensonHead coach: Les Kiss
Assistant coaches: Ian Foster, Simon Cron, Zane HiltonStill need some locks and a 1st 5 to round out the starting XV. Probably a 7 too unless Samu plays there.
@Bovidae said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
These are the players announced for the AUNZ team so far:
Aidan Ross
Joshua Fusitu’a
Brandon Paenga-Amosa
Jeffery Toomaga-Allen
Shannon Frizell
Pete Samu
Hoskins Sotutu
Folau Fakatava
David Havili
Ngani Laumape
AJ Lam
Marika Koroibete
Shaun StevensonHead coach: Les Kiss
Assistant coaches: Ian Foster, Simon Cron, Zane HiltonStill need some locks and a 1st 5 to round out the starting XV. Probably a 7 too unless Samu plays there.
Plenty of NZ locks not in the ABs ...
Off the top of my head:
Ah Kuoi (although isn't he injury cover?)
Beehre
Shalfoon (MABs)
IWL (MABs)
Dunshea
Gallagher
Delaney
McWhannelGiven Darry and Lord are injured.
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@Bovidae said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
These are the players announced for the AUNZ team so far:
Aidan Ross
Joshua Fusitu’a
Brandon Paenga-Amosa
Jeffery Toomaga-Allen
Shannon Frizell
Pete Samu
Hoskins Sotutu
Folau Fakatava
David Havili
Ngani Laumape
AJ Lam
Marika Koroibete
Shaun StevensonHead coach: Les Kiss
Assistant coaches: Ian Foster, Simon Cron, Zane HiltonStill need some locks and a 1st 5 to round out the starting XV. Probably a 7 too unless Samu plays there.
Plenty of NZ locks not in the ABs ...
Off the top of my head:
Ah Kuoi (although isn't he injury cover?)
Beehre
Shalfoon (MABs)
IWL (MABs)
Dunshea
Gallagher
Delaney
McWhannelGiven Darry and Lord are injured.
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@antipodean said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Dodge said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
Saw a tweet yesterday that suggested that this Lions squad have been very happy clappy, very friendly etc and that Farrell brought some steel. I started to think about it and I couldn't think of a single player on tour who fits the Martin Johnson / Alan Wyn Jones mould. There might just be something in it.
What steel is required? They've given out two absolute canings with no discernible reason this weekend against the Tahs will be any different.
Farrell brings nothing but an astonishing ability to not be held to account for his bullshit tackling technique. A technique that would've ended his career if other players were permitted to do the same to him with impunity.
That's probably exactly why steel is required. Don't think the Super warm-ups will be of much concern to Andy Farrell. The Tests (and probably the ANZAC game) will be much tougher and Farrell might be worried his men are going in with too low expectations of their opposition.
@Mr-Fish said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@antipodean said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Dodge said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
Saw a tweet yesterday that suggested that this Lions squad have been very happy clappy, very friendly etc and that Farrell brought some steel. I started to think about it and I couldn't think of a single player on tour who fits the Martin Johnson / Alan Wyn Jones mould. There might just be something in it.
What steel is required? They've given out two absolute canings with no discernible reason this weekend against the Tahs will be any different.
Farrell brings nothing but an astonishing ability to not be held to account for his bullshit tackling technique. A technique that would've ended his career if other players were permitted to do the same to him with impunity.
That's probably exactly why steel is required. Don't think the Super warm-ups will be of much concern to Andy Farrell. The Tests (and probably the ANZAC game) will be much tougher and Farrell might be worried his men are going in with too low expectations of their opposition.
exactly this, if everyone is too nice then where is the pressure in training, where is the Paul O'Connell forcing people to go harder? the warm up games these days are a joke and its a real shame, but its a fact of life. The tests will be a whole other level of intensity.
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@antipodean said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Dodge said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
Saw a tweet yesterday that suggested that this Lions squad have been very happy clappy, very friendly etc and that Farrell brought some steel. I started to think about it and I couldn't think of a single player on tour who fits the Martin Johnson / Alan Wyn Jones mould. There might just be something in it.
What steel is required? They've given out two absolute canings with no discernible reason this weekend against the Tahs will be any different.
Farrell brings nothing but an astonishing ability to not be held to account for his bullshit tackling technique. A technique that would've ended his career if other players were permitted to do the same to him with impunity.
That's probably exactly why steel is required. Don't think the Super warm-ups will be of much concern to Andy Farrell. The Tests (and probably the ANZAC game) will be much tougher and Farrell might be worried his men are going in with too low expectations of their opposition.
@Mr-Fish said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@antipodean said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Dodge said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
Saw a tweet yesterday that suggested that this Lions squad have been very happy clappy, very friendly etc and that Farrell brought some steel. I started to think about it and I couldn't think of a single player on tour who fits the Martin Johnson / Alan Wyn Jones mould. There might just be something in it.
What steel is required? They've given out two absolute canings with no discernible reason this weekend against the Tahs will be any different.
Farrell brings nothing but an astonishing ability to not be held to account for his bullshit tackling technique. A technique that would've ended his career if other players were permitted to do the same to him with impunity.
That's probably exactly why steel is required. Don't think the Super warm-ups will be of much concern to Andy Farrell. The Tests (and probably the ANZAC game) will be much tougher and Farrell might be worried his men are going in with too low expectations of their opposition.
There's plenty of players who went to South Africa as Lions. Plenty of them have enough experience playing Tests. They'll be professional enough to know that they're beating up on SR squad players in a country with limited depth.
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@Mr-Fish said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@antipodean said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Dodge said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
Saw a tweet yesterday that suggested that this Lions squad have been very happy clappy, very friendly etc and that Farrell brought some steel. I started to think about it and I couldn't think of a single player on tour who fits the Martin Johnson / Alan Wyn Jones mould. There might just be something in it.
What steel is required? They've given out two absolute canings with no discernible reason this weekend against the Tahs will be any different.
Farrell brings nothing but an astonishing ability to not be held to account for his bullshit tackling technique. A technique that would've ended his career if other players were permitted to do the same to him with impunity.
That's probably exactly why steel is required. Don't think the Super warm-ups will be of much concern to Andy Farrell. The Tests (and probably the ANZAC game) will be much tougher and Farrell might be worried his men are going in with too low expectations of their opposition.
exactly this, if everyone is too nice then where is the pressure in training, where is the Paul O'Connell forcing people to go harder? the warm up games these days are a joke and its a real shame, but its a fact of life. The tests will be a whole other level of intensity.
@Dodge said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Mr-Fish said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@antipodean said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Dodge said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
Saw a tweet yesterday that suggested that this Lions squad have been very happy clappy, very friendly etc and that Farrell brought some steel. I started to think about it and I couldn't think of a single player on tour who fits the Martin Johnson / Alan Wyn Jones mould. There might just be something in it.
What steel is required? They've given out two absolute canings with no discernible reason this weekend against the Tahs will be any different.
Farrell brings nothing but an astonishing ability to not be held to account for his bullshit tackling technique. A technique that would've ended his career if other players were permitted to do the same to him with impunity.
That's probably exactly why steel is required. Don't think the Super warm-ups will be of much concern to Andy Farrell. The Tests (and probably the ANZAC game) will be much tougher and Farrell might be worried his men are going in with too low expectations of their opposition.
exactly this, if everyone is too nice then where is the pressure in training, where is the Paul O'Connell forcing people to go harder? the warm up games these days are a joke and its a real shame, but its a fact of life. The tests will be a whole other level of intensity.
TBH I think the competition in training will be harder - players know everyone's looking good beating up SR teams devoid of their stars. Everyone of them will be wanting to stake a claim to make the Test side.
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@Bovidae said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
Surely they will want a few more Aussies in the AUNZ team.
If they had enough, there wouldn't be an AUNZ team.
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@antipodean said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Dodge said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
Saw a tweet yesterday that suggested that this Lions squad have been very happy clappy, very friendly etc and that Farrell brought some steel. I started to think about it and I couldn't think of a single player on tour who fits the Martin Johnson / Alan Wyn Jones mould. There might just be something in it.
What steel is required? They've given out two absolute canings with no discernible reason this weekend against the Tahs will be any different.
Farrell brings nothing but an astonishing ability to not be held to account for his bullshit tackling technique. A technique that would've ended his career if other players were permitted to do the same to him with impunity.
That's probably exactly why steel is required. Don't think the Super warm-ups will be of much concern to Andy Farrell. The Tests (and probably the ANZAC game) will be much tougher and Farrell might be worried his men are going in with too low expectations of their opposition.
@Mr-Fish said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@antipodean said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Dodge said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
Saw a tweet yesterday that suggested that this Lions squad have been very happy clappy, very friendly etc and that Farrell brought some steel. I started to think about it and I couldn't think of a single player on tour who fits the Martin Johnson / Alan Wyn Jones mould. There might just be something in it.
What steel is required? They've given out two absolute canings with no discernible reason this weekend against the Tahs will be any different.
Farrell brings nothing but an astonishing ability to not be held to account for his bullshit tackling technique. A technique that would've ended his career if other players were permitted to do the same to him with impunity.
That's probably exactly why steel is required. Don't think the Super warm-ups will be of much concern to Andy Farrell. The Tests (and probably the ANZAC game) will be much tougher and Farrell might be worried his men are going in with too low expectations of their opposition.
The lack (so far) of credible opposition is making this Lions tour a little less attractive, certainly currently. I'm not sure of Schmidt's intransigence in not releasing Wallabies. is it to protect depth? Is it to have an undercooked Lions team (cue conspiracy theories)? All I do know is that for the tour to have real traction the games outside tests must have some form of jeopardy attaching to them. Otherwise we may as well can them and just play the tests. Have a few warm up games in the UK. Fly over for three weeks, do the test series and then jump on the plane home. It would put a few more £££s in the home unions' coffers and cut down on time away from home.
A tour should be a tour.
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@Mr-Fish said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@antipodean said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Dodge said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
Saw a tweet yesterday that suggested that this Lions squad have been very happy clappy, very friendly etc and that Farrell brought some steel. I started to think about it and I couldn't think of a single player on tour who fits the Martin Johnson / Alan Wyn Jones mould. There might just be something in it.
What steel is required? They've given out two absolute canings with no discernible reason this weekend against the Tahs will be any different.
Farrell brings nothing but an astonishing ability to not be held to account for his bullshit tackling technique. A technique that would've ended his career if other players were permitted to do the same to him with impunity.
That's probably exactly why steel is required. Don't think the Super warm-ups will be of much concern to Andy Farrell. The Tests (and probably the ANZAC game) will be much tougher and Farrell might be worried his men are going in with too low expectations of their opposition.
The lack (so far) of credible opposition is making this Lions tour a little less attractive, certainly currently. I'm not sure of Schmidt's intransigence in not releasing Wallabies. is it to protect depth? Is it to have an undercooked Lions team (cue conspiracy theories)? All I do know is that for the tour to have real traction the games outside tests must have some form of jeopardy attaching to them. Otherwise we may as well can them and just play the tests. Have a few warm up games in the UK. Fly over for three weeks, do the test series and then jump on the plane home. It would put a few more £££s in the home unions' coffers and cut down on time away from home.
A tour should be a tour.
@Catogrande said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Mr-Fish said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@antipodean said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Dodge said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
Saw a tweet yesterday that suggested that this Lions squad have been very happy clappy, very friendly etc and that Farrell brought some steel. I started to think about it and I couldn't think of a single player on tour who fits the Martin Johnson / Alan Wyn Jones mould. There might just be something in it.
What steel is required? They've given out two absolute canings with no discernible reason this weekend against the Tahs will be any different.
Farrell brings nothing but an astonishing ability to not be held to account for his bullshit tackling technique. A technique that would've ended his career if other players were permitted to do the same to him with impunity.
That's probably exactly why steel is required. Don't think the Super warm-ups will be of much concern to Andy Farrell. The Tests (and probably the ANZAC game) will be much tougher and Farrell might be worried his men are going in with too low expectations of their opposition.
The lack (so far) of credible opposition is making this Lions tour a little less attractive, certainly currently. I'm not sure of Schmidt's intransigence in not releasing Wallabies. is it to protect depth? Is it to have an undercooked Lions team (cue conspiracy theories)? All I do know is that for the tour to have real traction the games outside tests must have some form of jeopardy attaching to them. Otherwise we may as well can them and just play the tests. Have a few warm up games in the UK. Fly over for three weeks, do the test series and then jump on the plane home. It would put a few more £££s in the home unions' coffers and cut down on time away from home.
A tour should be a tour.
That wasn't really the case in 2021, 2013, 2009, 2005 2001 etc...
2017 is probably the one time that the club games were all largely competitive.
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@Catogrande said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Mr-Fish said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@antipodean said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Dodge said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
Saw a tweet yesterday that suggested that this Lions squad have been very happy clappy, very friendly etc and that Farrell brought some steel. I started to think about it and I couldn't think of a single player on tour who fits the Martin Johnson / Alan Wyn Jones mould. There might just be something in it.
What steel is required? They've given out two absolute canings with no discernible reason this weekend against the Tahs will be any different.
Farrell brings nothing but an astonishing ability to not be held to account for his bullshit tackling technique. A technique that would've ended his career if other players were permitted to do the same to him with impunity.
That's probably exactly why steel is required. Don't think the Super warm-ups will be of much concern to Andy Farrell. The Tests (and probably the ANZAC game) will be much tougher and Farrell might be worried his men are going in with too low expectations of their opposition.
The lack (so far) of credible opposition is making this Lions tour a little less attractive, certainly currently. I'm not sure of Schmidt's intransigence in not releasing Wallabies. is it to protect depth? Is it to have an undercooked Lions team (cue conspiracy theories)? All I do know is that for the tour to have real traction the games outside tests must have some form of jeopardy attaching to them. Otherwise we may as well can them and just play the tests. Have a few warm up games in the UK. Fly over for three weeks, do the test series and then jump on the plane home. It would put a few more £££s in the home unions' coffers and cut down on time away from home.
A tour should be a tour.
That wasn't really the case in 2021, 2013, 2009, 2005 2001 etc...
2017 is probably the one time that the club games were all largely competitive.
@Mr-Fish said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Catogrande said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Mr-Fish said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@antipodean said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Dodge said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
Saw a tweet yesterday that suggested that this Lions squad have been very happy clappy, very friendly etc and that Farrell brought some steel. I started to think about it and I couldn't think of a single player on tour who fits the Martin Johnson / Alan Wyn Jones mould. There might just be something in it.
What steel is required? They've given out two absolute canings with no discernible reason this weekend against the Tahs will be any different.
Farrell brings nothing but an astonishing ability to not be held to account for his bullshit tackling technique. A technique that would've ended his career if other players were permitted to do the same to him with impunity.
That's probably exactly why steel is required. Don't think the Super warm-ups will be of much concern to Andy Farrell. The Tests (and probably the ANZAC game) will be much tougher and Farrell might be worried his men are going in with too low expectations of their opposition.
The lack (so far) of credible opposition is making this Lions tour a little less attractive, certainly currently. I'm not sure of Schmidt's intransigence in not releasing Wallabies. is it to protect depth? Is it to have an undercooked Lions team (cue conspiracy theories)? All I do know is that for the tour to have real traction the games outside tests must have some form of jeopardy attaching to them. Otherwise we may as well can them and just play the tests. Have a few warm up games in the UK. Fly over for three weeks, do the test series and then jump on the plane home. It would put a few more £££s in the home unions' coffers and cut down on time away from home.
A tour should be a tour.
That wasn't really the case in 2021, 2013, 2009, 2005 2001 etc...
2017 is probably the one time that the club games were all largely competitive.
There have always been some not very competitive matches, but usually there have at least been some of the non-test games that were close or even losses for the BILs.
2001 we lost to Australia A and squeaked home with a last gasp try and conversion against the Brumbies
2005 we lost to the Maori and had close games v Southland and Auckland. From memory the games against Otago and Wellington were pretty competitive with the BILs pulling away in the late stages.
2009 we drew v the Emerging Springboks and had close games v Western Province, Royal XV and Cheetahs.
2013 Very close v the Brumbies, competitive v Queensland and only the Farce and Combined Country being blow outs.
2017 A draw against the Hurricanes and very close against NZ Provincial Barbarians, Blues and Crusaders and pretty close v the Maori.
2019 I don't think is a good yardstick due to the whole covid thing fucking things up but we still managed to lose v SA A.
Now I get that the depth in Aussie is not the same as SA or NZ but so far on this tour we've been playing the Super sides minus most of their classier players. not so much a who's who of a team more of a who's that team. If that continues for the whole tour it would be a shame and a good advert for those that say Lions tours are an anachronism and should be shelved.
