Andy Farrell brought a sense of propriety to his coronation as Lions head coach for the 2025 tour to Australia, a no-nonsense ringmaster as the media circus – no clown jokes appreciated – converged on the 15th floor of 1, Creechurch Lane, headquarters of one of the touring team’s principal sponsors, the Howden Broking group, in the heart of London’s financial district on Thursday.
There would be no cheap headlines for those looking for a soundbite on his son Owen’s decision to take a step away from international rugby for the time being, no matter how ‘solicitous’ the inquiry was framed. Nor was he willing to speculate on the composition of his coaching team or a potential tour captain.
In the land of projection, possibility is king. ‘What-if-ery’ rules. What if a player was playing in France, would he be eligible for Lions selection? Yes, in theory. In practice? Well, who knows, 18 months is a long time away. What if he wasn’t playing international rugby at the time? Yep, he could travel to Australia.
The Lions aren’t governed by restrictions. The coach is free to pick who he wants. Farrell answered the questions he could and batted away those that leant too heavily on conjecture.
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His appointment has been an open secret for a little while so there was no requirement to indulge in the razzmatazz of a red curtain ‘ta-da’ moment. Instead, he walked from the back of the room, square of shoulder and jaw, as he took his place on the dais.
The 48-year-old represented the outstanding candidate to coach the famous touring side. One of his advocates is his predecessor in the role, Warren Gatland, who had led the Lions to Australia (2013), New Zealand (2017) and South Africa in 2021. Farrell was an assistant coach on the first two tours; the Lions won in Australia (2-1) and drew 1-1 against the All Blacks.
He was also able to accept the position with the imprimatur of the IRFU. Since succeeding Joe Schmidt as Ireland head coach following the 2019 World Cup, having spent the previous four years as an assistant to the New Zealander, the Wigan man has coached Ireland to 35 wins in 43 Tests (an 81.4 per cent win rate).
He led the national team to a first ever series win in New Zealand, a Grand Slam, Six Nations title, two Triple Crowns, a 17-match unbeaten run that saw them reach number one in the world rankings. Last month he signed a four-year contract extension that will see him take charge of Ireland through the 2027 World Cup in Australia.
The shorthand metrics of his Lions role will see him step back after Ireland’s November Test series later this year until the tour finishes. Simon Easterby, who has previous head coach experience, would be a strong contender to fill the Irish position on an interim basis in Farrell’s absence.
Farrell hasn’t spoken since Ireland’s defeat to New Zealand in the World Cup quarter-final but did briefly address that disappointment and how it has motivated him going forward in both an Ireland and Lions context. He explained: “It can’t just be down to fine margins or the bounce of a ball, or luck. You’ve got to cover more bases than that and have to fight harder to make sure you’re successful.
“To play some good rugby and play some fighting rugby that everyone wants to see and get behind, blah, blah, blah is all well and good, but you’ve got to stay with it for the duration. This [the Lions] is a duration tour.”
So how can you address the fine margins conundrum?
He continued: “You’ve obviously got to cover all bases in regard to different ramifications, minute-by-minute, second-by-second in the international arena, and at the highest order, which is a Lions tour.
“If you start games regularly well just because your set-piece is strong, your breakdown is strong, to presume it is going to be like that for every second of every game is pretty hard to obtain but that’s what you should be striving for.”
It’s galvanised him as a coach to keep striving for a rugby coaching utopia that he may never find.
“100 per cent, literally after the final whistle there’s nothing bittersweet about it [the defeat to New Zealand]. It’s not bitter, you just learn. It’s just life, isn’t it? You get on with it and try to get better.”
His identikit Lions player also has a bit of a crossover in terms of the identity of the Lions captain to lead the touring party to Australia.
“You’re looking at everything when it comes to selection. It’s not just about talent, it’s about their character and how they are conforming.
“The most special part of being a Lion is people who enjoy touring. It’s not old-school; it’s how it should be. It’s something I’ve always loved and thrived on. You’ve got to love that and embrace it. You find that out by doing your homework and asking the question of people who know the people, whether you’re going to get the right type of person on the plane.
“No, not a template [to choose the Lions captain]. He has to be a bit of everything doesn’t he? He has to be genuine, and he has to be the type of person that will not just show by his actions but show that he cares and has all of the things that special captains of Lions tours in the past have had, if not even more so.”
When it came to Owen, Farrell firmly rebuffed a line of questioning that he felt is both not germane and betraying a level of privacy that his son deserves. Have you chatted with Owen about whether he’ll be available for selection?
“No.”
What was your reaction to him stepping away from Tests?
“It’s his choice. He does what he thinks is right for him at that moment in time. You can’t go wrong in that regard, can you?”
That might well be Farrell’s mantra, doing what he believes is right. It has served him superbly to date.
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