Owen Farrell, named captain by his father, experienced a match full of emotions as he led the British & Irish Lions in their match against the First Nations & Pasifika XV in Australia. Despite a promising start with a 14-0 lead in the first 11 minutes, the match became complicated. The encounter, witnessed by 30,000 fans at Docklands Stadium, turned into a challenge. The situation became more difficult when Scottish winger Darcy Graham had to leave the field due to a leg injury. The opponents reacted, threatening to take the victory before losing 24-19. Farrell, however, remained firm, actively involving himself in the game. He played a significant role in several of the Lions’ four tries and demonstrated solid defense.
I enjoyed being out there. It’s been pretty good so far and there’s a lot more to come. I’m glad I was involved a little bit.
Owen Farrell
Head coach Farrell faces selection challenges for the second match, with doubts about the participation of Darcy Graham and winger Mack Hansen at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where the Lions will seek to secure the series. The second line Joe McCarthy is also dealing with a foot injury. There was concern for Marcus Smith, who left the field after a head injury at the Docklands Stadium, but Andy Farrell reported that Smith passed the concussion assessment. Farrell was encouraged by the returns of Blair Kinghorn and Garry Ringrose, who played without problems.There are always aspects to improve.
Andy Farrell
If you can’t prepare for what’s coming, we’re all in the wrong place. For me, this is the most important match of our lives, all of us, that’s part of our team.
Andy Farrell
