British & Irish Lions coach Andy Farrell has thrown cold water on the whispers suggesting that Australia might be too soft for the mighty Lions, calling such talk "insulting." As the Lions aim for a historic series whitewash in Sydney this Saturday, Farrell stands firm in his respect for the Wallabies, despite their recent struggles on the world stage.
The Lions are on the brink of their first unbeaten Test series since 1974, having triumphed in all eight of their tour games, including the first two nail-biting Tests against Australia. The Wallabies, currently ranked sixth globally, have had their share of woes, including a dismal performance at the 2023 World Cup, but suggestions of excising them from the Lions' tour rotation have not sat well with Farrell.
"I don’t think it was ever on the agenda, in my opinion,"
Farrell remarked."It would be tragic for us not to tour here. We’ve had a blast, and to me it’s insulting to even talk about it in that type of way."
Under the guidance of coach Joe Schmidt, Australia is in a rebuilding phase, focusing on stability and injecting fresh talent into their squad. Despite their World Cup fiasco under Eddie Jones, Farrell believes in the resilience and potential of the Australian team.
"Every single team, country, province has their ups and downs, but Australia, with the sporting nation they are, are always going to come back," Farrell added, hinting at a robust future for the Wallabies. "That performance on the weekend was no surprise to us, and that’s why we expect them to be better on Saturday."
Wallabies captain Harry Wilson also chimed in, defending Australia's role as a proud host nation. "There’s always somebody who’s going to be negative about anything which is good for rugby, and this has been an unbelievable series," he stated. "Just for Australian rugby, for UK rugby, it’s been unbelievable and everyone’s loved being a part of it and anyone here who’s been a part of it all couldn’t say a negative word about it."
With the Lions first setting foot in Australia back in 1888, the historic and competitive spirit of these tours is undeniable. The debate over Australia's place in the rugby elite may rage on, but for now, the focus remains on the field, where records and reputations are made and defended one game at a time.