Flatlioners: Andy Farrell’s men fail to stir the soul as they stagger towards Test series

This Lions campaign has felt a bit flat thus far and Wednesday’s flawed display against a plucky Brumbies side was worryingly on trend. 

The opening Test against the Wallabies is now just nine days away and, in truth, this tour has yet to catch fire and captivate the Australian public. 

This midweek game in Canberra was an afterthought in most of the sports bulletins and back pages. The Lions has been living in the shadows of the latest State of Origin series since Andy Farrell’s squad touched down in Oz.  

Queensland claimed their 25th series after a gripping game-three decider in Sydney, young playmaker Tom Dearden producing a performance for the ages in front of 80,000 people in the city’s iconic Olympic Stadium as the Maroons edged the latest chapter of this captivating rugby league slugfest. 

Perhaps the mood music will change once the series against the Wallabies gets up and running. The whole thing might ignite once the Lions and the hosts collide at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on July 19. 

Right now, the whole thing is feeling a bit bland and low stakes. All that may change in the coming weeks, but yesterday’s flawed performance did little to alleviate fears that is not a vintage Lions squad. The Wallabies don’t look like great shakes at the moment either. 

If Joe Schmidt manages to the hosts firing, however, then all bets are off ahead of this looming series because the tourists, at this point in time, have yet to produce a compelling performance. 

LIONS LACKING BITE…

Sitting in the stands at Gio Stadium, Schmidt will have taken plenty of encouragement from the damage a Brumbies side – shorn of eight Wallabies – were able to inflict on a Lions team which was close to full strength. 

The home side went after the Lions at the breakdown, disrupting their supply chain of possession. Plenty of teams have deployed similar tactics against Leinster and Ireland in the past to great effect. The Lions are very much in the same mould when it comes to their attacking approach. 

If the Wallabies can make a mess of the Lions’ ruck ball, they will have a foothold in this series. 

Again, indiscipline was a recurring theme while there were simply too many unforced errors once again. Conceding four tries is a real cause for concern, too. 

… AND PERHAPS A FEW LEADERS? 

This Lions squad is not lacking talent or depth. No one would dispute that. But is the class of 2025 lacking on-field leadership? Owen Farrell’s left-field call-up last week – which dominated the news cycle for the best part of 48 hours – isn’t look like such a controversial call now. 

This Lions team, for all their talent, are clearly lacking a few seasoned campaigners to bring some calm and authority when things get a bit dicey. Maro Itoje is a world class second row but the captaincy is a new role for him. Ellis Genge, Jack Conan and Bundee Aki are big voices in this current squad but none of them have extensive experience when it comes to leading a team at Test level. 

Rewind back to the 2013 tour of Australia and Warren Gatland’s squad was brimming with proven leaders. Alun Wyn Jones, Paul O’Connell, Sam Warburton, Farrell, Johnny Sexton and Brian O’Driscoll were all on board. 

Does this current crop have the same influential voices? It could be a telling factor when push comes to shove in the Test series. 

TEST COMBOS TAKING SHAPE 

The front five, half backs and midfield look nailed down at this stage. 

The frontrow of Genge, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong went well against the Brumbies. The scrum was solid and this trio looked primed to start en block against the Wallabies. 

Same goes for the second row combination Itoje and Joe McCarthy. Scott Cummings has impressed while Tadhg Beirne has lacked a bit of his trademark energy and impact on this tour. James Ryan’s Test race looks run. 

Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell were installed as the frontrunners long before the tour. Both cemented that status with strong showings in Canberra. Both are likely to be wrapped in cotton wool ahead of the big one against Australia on Saturday week. 

Sione Tuipulotu hasn’t played a lot of rugby this season, and it’s showed on tour. His fellow Scot Huw Jones has put in some big shifts, but Ringrose pulled out all the stops yesterday, beating six defenders and crossing for a try himself. The Leinster midfielder also made 10 tackles during a strong defensive shift.  

BACKROW AND BACKFIELD UP FOR GRABS 

There are going to be some heated selection meetings in the coming days for Farrell and his backroom team. 

Particularly the backrow. It isn’t just the personnel which Farrell and Co have to get right, it’s the balance of the entire unit. 

Ollie Chessum put his hand up for the No6 jersey with a busy display. The Leicester flanker looks set to follow in the footsteps of Martin Corry and play a big part in the Test series. 

Corry, another product from Welford Road, was a late call-up to the 2001 tour of Australia for Scotland No8 Simon Taylor. A powerful, abrasive blindside and a handy lineout operator, Corry went from the fringes of Graham Henry’s squad to a Test starter in the space of a few weeks. 

And Chessum seems to be on the same trajectory. The Tigers flanker bagged a brace, made eight tackles, nine carriers and offered plenty in the lineout. If Farrell, as expected, opts for the heavyweight ballast of McCarthy alongside Itoje at lock, he will require a big blindside to shore up the lineout. Beirne looked tailor-made for the role. Chessum, however, has seemingly moved ahead. 

Jack Conan has done enough to start at No8 but all bets are off at openside. Tom Curry didn’t further his case in Canberra. Jac Morgan has caught the eye, Josh van der Flier has undoubted pedigree and Henry Pollock is the livewire. It’s a huge call. 

It’s the same story in the back three, with Blair Kinghorn’s injury further muddying the waters at full-back. Hugo Keenan needs a big game on Saturday. Marcus Smith could be a superb impact sub but would Farrell trust him to marshal the backfield in the Test series? 

Tommy Freeman’s shaky display didn’t come at a good time. James Lowe was solid, if unspectacular. Duhan van der Merwe and Mack Hansen haven’t lit the world alight either. 

It’s been the story of the tour really.