Andy Farrell given free hand over Lions selection

Lions boss says Andy Farrell will have a free hand over the choice of coaches, and playing squad. I'm not sure this is as much of a difference as the Telegraph makes out. McGeechan insisted on having the final word on squad selection in 1997. The Telegraph says coaches have always felt an "implied" responsibility to take players from all home unions, and that's probably true of Farrell as well.

France-based players have also never been verboten, just difficult to accomodate. The Top 14 season final is this weekend. In 2025, The Lions have a Test against Argentina in Dublin on the 20th June. If the overlap next season is similar, then no player from the four Top 14 semi-finalists will be available for that match. Players from the 5th and 6th placed Top 14 sides may also miss out, because they won't be available for the training camps before that match.

As the next Lions fixture in 2025 is the Western Force, on the 28th June, it seems certain that any player selected from a Top 14 finalist won't be available to fly out at the same time as everyone else. Stuart Lancaster is on the record saying that shouldn't be a deal-breaker, as players are always joining Lions tours late as injury cover.

Still, it's a factor. You'd imagine someone has to be playing the house down, or be an experienced Lion, to get on the radar.

If Kevin Sinfield does stay in Union, he might be in the mix for a coaching spot akin to what he's doing for England now.

Andy Farrell will be given freedom to pick any player or coach he wants for the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia next summer, after the head coach was told he will not be constrained by any pressure to ensure that all four nations are represented, Telegraph Sport can reveal.

Farrell has also been given licence to select eligible players who are based in France, whose growing number include his son Owen, the former England captain, Courtney Lawes, Jack Willis and Kyle Sinckler, even if it means they will not be available for the start of the nine-game tour because of Top 14 commitments – or they are not current international players.

It is thought to be the first time a Lions coach has been given complete freedom to select any player he wants. Before the first professional tour in 1997, squad selection involved representatives from each of the four home unions and a policy of horse-trading was common. Even Warren Gatland, head coach for the last three tours, felt a responsibility, implied or otherwise, to ensure that all four nations were represented in some way in both his squad composition and coaching staff.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2024/06/25/lions-tour-andy-farrell-england-ireland-wales-scotland/

There's tons of good coaching options around.

Aled must be pretty much nailed on for leading the S&C if he fancies it. Bobby Stridgeon has been on the last 4 tours I think, so might be around that team too.

I reckon it will be between Felix Jones and Simon Easterby as defence coach. Maybe even both. Perhaps Jones acting as a consultant across defence and attack as he did with the Boks?

Toonie or Catt as attack coach seem the standouts from the home nations setups. I'd love ROG to be considered.

Forwards coach has a few options. Easterby and POC share forward coaching duties with Ireland very effectively. Faz Snr might just take that partnership. Wig is an excellent forwards coach with Lions coaching experience who's doing well at Munster.

Neil Jenkins will inevitably be there as kicking coach. He might not even be invited at this point. He'll just turn up and everyone will accept it.

Id have Lancaster onboard.

Collapse2005 wrote:Id have Lancaster onboard.

Overrated coach. He failed spectacularly with England and has just taken Racing to uninspiring limp into the playoffs and where they went out with a whimper. His reputation is built around his spell with Leinster.

There's better coaches available to Farrell on top of that Racing will have no interest in releasing Lancaster given the crossover of Lions games and Top14 playoffs where they'll be expecting to feature and feature more than they did this season. No point having a coach that's going to miss the build up.

I'd agree with KC. Jones and Easterby as defence coach then Catt or Townsend as attack coach. Adam Jones has publicly stated he'd like a crack at the scrum coach job which might be seen as a good way to get a Welsh coach on the ticket.

If Lawes is in stellar form this time next year he might be worth taking from France. Otherwise I don't think we need any of the options over there unless there's injuries.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Collapse2005 wrote:Id have Lancaster onboard.

Overrated coach. He failed spectacularly with England and has just taken Racing to uninspiring limp into the playoffs and where they went out with a whimper. His reputation is built around his spell with Leinster.

There's better coaches available to Farrell on top of that Racing will have no interest in releasing Lancaster given the crossover of Lions games and Top14 playoffs where they'll be expecting to feature and feature more than they did this season. No point having a coach that's going to miss the build up.

I'd agree with KC. Jones and Easterby as defence coach then Catt or Townsend as attack coach. Adam Jones has publicly stated he'd like a crack at the scrum coach job which might be seen as a good way to get a Welsh coach on the ticket.

If Lawes is in stellar form this time next year he might be worth taking from France. Otherwise I don't think we need any of the options over there unless there's injuries.

Yeah id agree with that

Re Welsh coaches on the ticket. Huw Bennett is a well regarded S&C coach. I wouldn't be surprised if he is there again as an assistant coach. Be it as an assistant to Aled Walters (feels most likely) or someone such as Bobby Stridgeon.

The last tour had Stridgeon as lead with two lieutenants working under him. Bennett was one and Jon Clarke the other there. That's the Rugby League alumni version of Jon Clarke, not the former Saints centre! The RL version of Jon Clarke has since returned to RL coaching in Oz.

I could certainly see Ciaran Ruddock, Ireland's S&C lead, being another assistant.

Walters, Bennett and Ruddock would be a very good S&C team for a tour where that aspect is always vitally important.

Isn't Stridgeon coaching over at Racing 92 now? Might make him unavailable.

Aled Walters would be the obvious choice as he's the most high profile S&C lead around though Farrell might prefer someone he's worked with before.