Why Andy Farrell could shake things up with his Lions bench selection next week

Barely 90 seconds of the second half had elapsed when Dan Sheehan crossed for a try in the corner, a score which put the Lions 24-5 ahead. 

It felt the like the floodgates were going to open. The Wallabies had been hanging on for dear life in an utterly one-sided opening Test and now it looked like the Lions were going to feast on their wounded prey. 

The first 50 minutes was dreamland stuff for head coach Andy Farrell. Tactically, emotionally and physically, the Lions were on a different plain to the vulnerable hosts. 

All of Farrell’s selections were vindicated. Much was made of Tadhg Beirne and Tom Curry getting the nod on the flanks. In such a hotly-contested area, neither player had made a compelling case to start this game at Suncorp Stadium. 

The likes of Jac Morgan, Josh van der Flier and Henry Pollock had been deemed surplus to requirements and legions of Lions supporters were up in arms. 

Farrell banked on Beirne and Curry delivering on the big stage. He needed Test match animals for this series and both players fitted that bill perfectly. Farrell has always been a shrewd selector and he was on the money with the balance of the Lions backrow. 

Curry was a man possessed in Brisbane. Farrell described the England flanker as a ‘machine’ on this tour. A player with a relentless workrate. A pest for the opposition. Curry repaid Farrell’s faith in spades yesterday. 

The boss has long been an admirer of Beirne. He was sitting in the coaches’ box in Wellington three summers ago when the Munster forward made three crucial turnovers to thwart a series of late raids from an All Blacks side which had their tails up in the third Test decider. Ireland wouldn’t have won that historic series in New Zealand without Beirne’s interventions. Those kind of performances resonate with Farrell. He simply couldn’t leave Beirne out of his starting line-up this week. 

Again, Beirne stepped up in a big way. He made 23 tackles during a phenomenal shift. 

Much was made of the record Irish contingent on this tour. Those noises grew louder when underrated operators such as Finlay Bealham, Jamie Osborne and Thomas Clarkson received late call-ups as injury cover. 

The same detractors were at it again when Farrell named a record eight Irishman in his Test team earlier this week. 

Beirne led the way but plenty of his Irish comrades put in big shifts. Tadhg Furlong had a stormer. Sheehan had a big night. Joe McCarthy put himself about. Jack Conan delivered again. Jamison Gibson-Park was effortlessly efficient while Hugo Keenan, his role in the Max Jorgensen try apart, was flawless in the backfield. 

James Lowe, however, had a few patchy moments. There were a few overcooked kicks and he botched an overlap when the Lions should have walked in for a try during their first-half purple patch. To be fair, Tommy Freeman didn’t enjoy the best outing on the other wing. 

Mack Hansen and Blair Kinghorn, fitness permitting, will fancy their chances of forcing their way into the Test reckoning next weekend. 

And there could be plenty of changes. Farrell won’t be happy with what unfolded during that sloppy final 30 minutes. 

The Lions were lethargic, casual and error strewn and repeatedly invited an Australian side, buoyed by some big impact from the bench, into the game. 

Considering how dominant the visitors had been for most of the evening, it was odd to see replacement out-half Marcus Smith boot over a late penalty to keep the resurgent Wallabies at bay. 

This powerful Lions bench was supposed to make all the defence in the final quarter. Farrell’s side were cruising when the subs began to enter the fray. 

Apart from Bundee Aki, the second-half cavalry failed to up the ante. If anything, they contributed to the malaise. 

Ronan Kelleher, Andrew Porter, Will Stuart, Ollie Chessum and Ben Earl were all picked to provide extra power to a heavyweight pack, but this Lions Bomb Squad failed to detonate. 

Jamie George, the veteran England hooker and a late call-up, might find himself on the bench at the MCG while the energy of a Morgan, Van der Flier or Pollock was sorely lacking yesterday. 

The Lions will need to better across the board. Because Australia will surely improve, too. 

Joe Schmidt desperately needs Will Skelton and Rob Valetini fit and firing in Melbourne. This Wallabies side will be a totally different proposition with their two best call carriers back on board. 

Schmidt will surely start Angus Bell, who is bound for Ulster next season, next weekend. Carlo Tizzano made a big impression as well. And he simply must have Tate McDermott on duty from the first whistle next time. The Queensland Reds scrum-half is a real livewire and the Wallabies will need his energy if they want to make this Test series interesting. 

For a long time yesterday, the worst fears around this tour were being realised. A mismatch of epic proportions and a ghastly 3-0 whitewash was looking on the cards. 

That may still prove the case but the Wallabies provided a glimmer of hope in the last half hour. 

The Lions should ultimately have too much in the coming weeks, especially with Farrell nailing all the big calls, but there’s still a bit of life left in this series. The likes of Beirne and Curry will move in for the kill next week.