Farrell, favorite to lead the Lions in 2029: Will he repeat the success?

Andy Farrell is in line to lead the Lions in 2029

The chief executive, Ben Calveley, has backed Andy Farrell’s credentials to continue as head coach of the British and Irish Lions on the 2029 tour to New Zealand. Farrell guided the Lions to their first series win since 2013, with Saturday’s 22-12 defeat to the Wallabies in Sydney as the only loss in their nine-match visit to Australia. Although their path to total victory was halted at the last hurdle, the 50-year-old Irish coach has overseen a successful tour, highlighted by their results, team cohesion, commitment to the game of rugby, and the character shown in winning the second Test in the final seconds. Planning for 2029 is already underway, with Calveley promising a structure and number of matches similar to the recently completed itinerary, although the last midweek match will be closely analyzed due to the disruption it causes in the preparation for the Tests. Farrell is the favorite to lead that expedition and Calveley suggests that the most coveted position in British and Irish rugby is currently his to lose.

Joe Schmidt talks about the admiration he has for his Australian team after their 22-12 victory over the Lions, despite losing the series.

“Andy has done an incredible job and I have really enjoyed working with him”, said Calveley.

Ben Calveley

“I go back to when I first met him to offer him the position. It could be seen at that moment that we had made the right decision in appointing Andy. “Since he started full-time in December, he has brought a real focus to the operation, which has ultimately resulted in success on the field of play. Now we will give him some time off. “When it comes to our appointments for future tours, we will begin the process in about two years and I don’t think it’s right to comment on where it ends up. But certainly, he has been put in a very solid position, let’s put it that way.” Australia entered the series in eighth place in the world and its credibility as a continuous destination for the Lions tour was at stake before the opening match at Suncorp Stadium.

British and Irish Lions coach Andy Farrell says that, despite losing the third test match against Australia, they should be “really proud” to win the series. Their defeat in Brisbane was an inauspicious start, but at the Melbourne Cricket Ground they were 51 seconds away from leveling the series before emerging as emphatic winners on Saturday. The Lions won the series with an aggregate score of only 68-67 and their opponents led for longer in the three tests. Considering the profits that are “significantly higher than anything we’ve seen in the past”, it’s clear that the Wallabies will continue to be adversaries for the elite of British and Irish rugby.

“Absolutely, I imagine we will return to Australia. I know there has been a lot of speculation about whether that would be the case or not, but we have had a wonderful tour here,” said Calveley.

Ben Calveley

“It’s 100% our ambition to return and we would like the next one to be bigger and better than this one.” The Lions are seen as potentially vulnerable to the proposed new separatist professional R360 league, but Calveley insists that their drawing power remains as strong as ever. “They’ve seen these quotes coming from players at every stage of the tour and it’s that they remain absolutely committed to the Lions,” he said. “We all know that we have our place on the calendar integrated into regulation 9 and I don’t see that changing in the future. “Our relationship with professional gaming is better than ever and I see that continuing in the future.”