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The crucial message the Lions have given to benched Owen Farrell

(Photo by Phill Magakoe/AFP via Getty Images)

Saturday is going to be an unusual Test match experience for Owen Farrell after the Lions decided he didn’t merit a place in their starting XV for this Saturday’s series opener versus the Springboks in Cape Town. The Saracens talisman is usually a starter. In his 97 Test appearances so far for England and the Lions, 85 have come with either the No10 or No12 jersey on his back. 

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That number will be different this weekend, Farrell getting handed a Lions jersey with the No22 on it. Not since Kobe in September 2019, when England defeated the USA at the World Cup, has Farrell had a bench role, but that is what he will have to get his head around on this occasion after losing out at out-half to the preferred Dan Biggar.   

Farrell started all three Lions 2017 Test matches versus New Zealand, last sitting on Gatland’s bench for the 2013 series decider versus Australia in Sydney, but the coach is optimistic the 29-year-old will have a huge role to play despite getting held in reserve along with Conor Murray, who was tour skipper for three weeks before Alun Wyn Jones’ incredible return to fitness. 

Video Spacer

Lions skipper Alun Wyn Jones on his remarkable recovery from a shoulder dislocation

Video Spacer

Lions skipper Alun Wyn Jones on his remarkable recovery from a shoulder dislocation

“It’s just his experience,” explained Gatland when asked what he wants from Farrell off the bench. “I had a good chat with him to let him know where he was. Sometimes you don’t have the answers for players, it’s just you have decided to go with the player because you feel that they are the right player at the time or you felt with Dan Biggar he was the right player. 

“The message to Owen was his experience coming off the bench and then to play instinctively and that is one of the things he has been good at in the past. He is an instinctive player, making good decisions when he takes the ball to the line, short passing or going out the back or throwing miss-passes. That experience for us is going to be important. 

“The discussion was had as well about Dan Biggar. In the past with Wales, he has been brilliant coming off the bench for us when we had Gareth Anscombe starting and Dan Biggar bringing his experience off the bench and knowing how to close out games and to win games when we had a run of victories in a row. It wasn’t just about the starting XV, there was a lot of discussion about the bench and experienced guys coming off there, guys who would be disappointed they are not starting and they want to come on and make an impact.

“Whether that is Conor or Owen or Liam Williams, any one of the guys in the forwards, they are really going to want to come on and make an impact and that is exactly what we will be looking for and we feel these guys can come on and make a difference.”

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Gatland revealed how competition for places in the side even spilt over into niggly incidents materialising on the training ground on Tuesday. “I expect the guys to be disappointed and that was the chat. They should be disappointed in missing out on selection. We have spoken about how it is not just the 23, it’s the whole squad and everyone has been putting up their hand.

“We are really pleased with the form of a lot of players in the squad and it’s how they respond to that, their responsibility in helping the Test side prepare for Saturday. I must say they have been absolutely brilliant. 

“The last couple of training sessions no one has taken a backward step and we had a pretty tasty training session yesterday, a little bit of niggle stuff that was exactly what we wanted. I take my hat off to the guys that were helping that Test team. They really fronted up and trained exceptionally well. You couldn’t ask for more from a coaching perspective.”

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J
JPM 2 hours ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

Unfortunately you don't know anything about French rugby, coaches and players but still making a lot of assumptions and judgements to push your prefabricated and simplistic point of view that Dupont is manipulating everything and is a bad guy. I am not a NZ rugby specialist and wouldn't dare make such theories about what is going on within the ABs team. Therefore my advice to you is to do like Dupont and stay humble when you don't know all the background of the issues !!!


Firstly if you knew a bit of Galthié, he is not the type of coach who is going to ask advice to his players and even his captain about team selection. He is as stubborn as you...


Second Ramos has played a lot of times as 10 with Toulouse and therefore Dupont (in particular when Ntamack is injured and unfortunately it has often happened recently and for long periods). He even played 10 during the last 3 games of the 2024 6N and this was far better performance than the first two games with Jalibert as 10.


Thirdly Jalibert lacked of respect to a La Rochelle player so your theory is once again out.


Fourth as I explained to you Galthié went for a 6-2 bench and Jalibert can only play 10 which doesn't fit that plan. Furthermore as 15 Buros is better under high balls than Ramos and everybody is prepared for a tactical kicking game.


So you can blame Galthié for a lot of things (as you clearly enjoy doing at the end of your post and you should be very happy as an AB fan) but certainly not Dupont. Sorry once more for your conspiracy theory.


And don't worry about potential disharmony in the French team; they are excellent mates around their captain. Jalibert is well known in the French rugby circles to have not a strong character (and we saw that in the WC quarter finals as he is very nervous in any decisive international game unlike Ntamack and Ramos as for his late penalty kick vs England this year).


In conclusion enjoy the game tmrw night. It is good that the ABs are very upset; we should watch a great game of rugby. I hope for running rugby and not too much kicking. With 5 key players injured on our side (Ntamack, Baille, Atonio, Cros and Penaud) and 2 on your side I and various French fans see you as favourites. I obviously hope for another result.


If you are interested you can read a good article in the Guardian on the subject of France-NZ games.

92 Go to comments
K
KB 2 hours ago
The 'one difference' between Boks and the back-to-back All Blacks

Consistency hasnt been there they have many great players SA were also not unbeaten in the 2023 WC - NZ were in 2015 WC McCaw and Carter Nonu and Smith - SA did not have those Marque players in those postions in 2019 or 2023 - I wouldnt rank them ahead of the 20I5 ABs - They clocked up 60 points against France in the QF - Furthermore I do not believe for one moment SA won 2023 fairly no way - they were so favoured it became obvious that behind the scenes SA the nation bought the title - Their last 3 matches were won by a solitary point there were many contentious decisions that went their way that it became obvious it wasnt coincidence - Sport has been hijacked by a satanic cult just as is Politics

Some players coaches officials and sponsors are involved - they know who they are - its called Freemasonry - any sport that allows betting is corrupt - its not all about money either for these parasites its also about control - Lots of American NFL players have spoken openly about games being scripted - Football is also rigged Referees have been caught on film showing freemason hand signs - The 95 RWC final ranks as the highest and most obvious attempt at cheating There was no way SA were going to allow NZ to gate crash Nelson Mandelas reunification party - NZ were so good they had to posion almost the entire team to get a 3 point win - a Hollywood Movie ( theres your Red Flag ) was made about SAs triumph called Invictus


William Henley wrote a poem called Invictus


It starts


Out of the night that covers me BLACK ( All Blacks ) as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever GODS maybe for my unconquerable Soul ...( Olan says INVICTUS is an evil Malevolent entity who corrupted the Titans ... this is Mandelas double meaning speech ( hes a fraud ) - of thanks for helping overcome SA's adversary NZ - There is only ONE true God Yahuah - Only a false god would be complicit in Cheating Corruption and Harming others to win a RWC for a sick and sinful Nation ) the poem ends with


I am the CAPTAIN of my soul


SA will forever bear the stain of guilt and disgrace over their involvement in poisoning the ABs a day before the 95 RWC Final

13 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

I cannot believe that you don't think the French rugby team coach and captain are not discussing putting Jalibert on the bench in favour of Duponts club teammate that doesn't even play at 10.


This is a terrible, massive insult to a 10 and I'm sure Dupont would also be very enraged if benched for a player that doesn't even play halfback.


A good captain would've insisted to the coach that it was an idea of madness and either select Jalibert or replace him with another 10 if you want him to be reserve.


Jalibert may not be the world's finest tacklers but that's often not a tens main strength that the loose forwards and second five cover. An intercept pass is never great but they happen.


When any player is playing for his club then it's club first, respect doesn't need to be shown to opposition players simply because they're internationals.


Who exactly are you claiming Jalibert hasn't respected? If it's Toulouse international players then it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this bench demotion out.


The outcome of selecting Jalibert to the bench and he then throwing his croissants out the window of the team bus immediately prior to playing the Allblacks is a disaster that will be team disharmony as any team mates of Jalibert are in a state of anger and revolt so a performance that will be sub optimal against a team that is thirsting for revenge against France.


I don't know about you but the Allblacks are very upset they've lost twice in a row to France and want to put out a statement performance so this preparation by Galthie of creating havoc looks to me like a coach that is clueless.

92 Go to comments
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