The one area where the Lions could be vulnerable against the Wallabies

Andy Farrell has gone to the mattresses with this selection. The Lions head coach has set out his stall ahead of the first Test in Brisbane on Saturday. 

This is a matchday squad designed to batter the Wallabies into submission. It’s a heavyweight team laced with power and physicality. Experience, too. 

Every 50/50 selection has gone to the player who relishes the attritional side of the game or the candidate who has been there and done that at the top level. 

Is it a bulletproof outfit which is capable of winning this series 3-0? Joe Schmidt knows he won’t be able to fight fire with fire against this imposing Lions side, but that doesn’t mean the tourists aren’t vulnerable either. 

GROUNDS FOR CONCERN 

The Sale Sharks and England backrower has won the race for the No7 shirt, edging out Josh van der Flier, Jac Morgan and Henry Pollock in the process. 

Curry hasn’t been in stellar form on this tour. He made errors against Argentina and ACT Brumbies. But Farrell is a big fan. He described the 27-year-old as a ‘machine’ a few weeks ago and spoke about Curry’s relentless ‘engine’ after naming his team. Farrell admires his freakish workrate around the field. Curry is a selfless character who does a lot of the unglamorous stuff. He makes other players look good. A quicker, more intense version of Peter O’Mahony, essentially. 

Curry has a lot of credit in the bank. This is a player who spearheaded England’s surge to a World Cup final in 2019 and an unlikely semi-final charge four years later. He started all three Lions Tests – at openside flanker – against the Springboks four years ago and, crucially, he was outstanding in the Six Nations. 

Farrell has opted for Curry to bring plenty of energy in between a powerful backrow featuring Tadhg Beirne and Jack Conan. Beirne brings lineout nous and a turnover threat while Conan will be freed up to carry hard into this Wallabies defence. 

It’s a backrow designed to steamroll the hosts, with the English duo of Ollie Chessum and Ben Earl primed to do more damage from the bench. 

Have the Lions left themselves vulnerable at the breakdown? Farrell and Co have been frustrated by the officiating at the ruck throughout this tour. They seem to have parked the idea of competing at the breakdown. Hence why the outstanding Morgan – the only Welshman on tour after Tomos Williams’ injury  – has been deemed surplus to requirements. 

Ditto, Van der Flier, one of Farrell’s most trusted lieutenants when he is on Ireland duty. Pollock has caught the eye with his livewire performances but he is still a bit raw. 

Farrell feels this team, across the board, will have enough gainline busting ballast to bully the Wallabies out of the game. 

Fraser McReight will have something to say about that. The Queensland Reds flanker is a classic openside in the mould of George Smith, Phil Waugh, David Pocock and Michael Hooper. Australia have a long tradition of producing pest-like No7s who feast on opposition ball at the breakdown. McReight is made of the same stuff and he enhanced his growing reputation with some big displays in Europe last November, particularly against England and Ireland. 

If McReight manages to disrupt the Lions supply line of possession at Suncorp Stadium, we may see Morgan and Van der Flier back in contention for the second Test. 

HEAVY METAL RUGBY 

On paper, this Lions team should have more than enough to grind a vulnerable Wallabies team into dust. 

The front five is packed with power, with plenty of serious operators in reserve. It says everything about the vast resources available to Farrell in this area that he has the luxury of leaving Andrew Porter in reserve. The Leinster loosehead is one of the first names on the Ireland team sheet but he will play the role of impact sub this weekend. 

The Lions pack will feel they have a real edge when it comes to the scrum, lineout and maul. And this selection is reflective of a team which will look to bully their opponents up front. 

It’s the same story in the backs, with Sione Tuipulotu, James Lowe and Tommy Freeman providing plenty of muscle in the wide channels. Bundee Aki made some impactful cameos for Ireland during the Six Nations and Farrell is banking on the veteran Connacht centre to make his presence felt when he’s unleashed from the bench this time around. 

LEAPS OF FAITH 

Is this is a form selection? 

Farrell and his backroom team didn’t have too many dilemmas when it came to finalising the backline. 

Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell have been the frontline half backs throughout this tour. 

Garry Ringrose’s concussion simplified the midfield selection. Huw Jones, after a strong tour, walked into the team while Tuipulotu’s experience alongside his fellow Scot edged him ahead of Aki in the inside centre debate. 

Elliot Daly was making a strong case for inclusion before his broke his arm earlier in the tour while Blair Kinghorn and Mack Hansen have pulled up with injuries this week. Duhan van der Merwe offers so much attacking threat, but the giant Scotland wing is suspect in defence. 

It all added up to a back three of Hugo Keenan, Lowe and Freeman. 

Farrell had settled on his starting tight five from a long way out. The backrow was hotly contested but Farrell ended up backing three players who he feels have that ‘big match mentality.’ 

It’s an impressive starting line-up, but it’s not infallible. Lest we forget, Tadhg Furlong has endured an injury-ravaged 24 months and he hasn’t looked the same force on this tour. 

McCarthy is a real wrecking ball at lock, but the 24-year-old has been guilty of careless lapses of discipline in the not-too-distant past. 

Beirne and Curry are proven performers but neither have set this tour alight, yet. 

Marcus Smith has been named ahead of Fin Smith on the bench due to his versatility but what if Russell suffers an early injury? Is the Harlequins No10, who has primarily been deployed at full-back in recent weeks, capable of bossing a Test match like this? 

None of the above will matter if Plan A comes off. The worry for the Lions is a Plan B seems to be sorely lacking.