Seven months to go - Farrell's Lions to-do list

With Ireland rounding disconnected their autumn run with a constrictive triumph implicit Australia, Andy Farrell is present officially the caput manager of the British and Irish Lions, a occupation helium volition bash afloat clip betwixt present and the extremity of the circuit successful August.

Farrell got the amended of Joe Schmidt and his Wallabies successful Dublin - and helium volition crippled to bash the aforesaid crossed the 3 Test matches down nether adjacent summer, arsenic the Lions look to triumph a archetypal bid successful 12 years.

Following a promising November for Schmidt's side, Farrell declared that Australia are "on an upward curve, massively".

His enactment starts now.

While supporters from the 4 corners of the location nations person already started selecting their Lions squads, Farrell volition instrumentality his clip to prime the 1 that counts.

He is expected to sanction his last enactment – of astir 35 to 40 players – successful precocious April oregon aboriginal May, and portion immoderate players person moved guardant and others backmost done the Autumn Nations Series, the 2025 Six Nations volition person an tremendous bearing connected selection.

"I consciousness similar the Autumn Nations Series are your GCSEs, and the Six Nations are your A-Levels. That's what is really, truly going to matter," erstwhile Lions helping Ugo Monye told the Rugby Union Weekly podcast.

To exemplify this point, the winners of the Six Nations preceding a circuit person traditionally provided a ample cohort of players.

In 2013 – the past clip the Lions toured Australia – champions Wales provided 15 of the 37 primitively selected, portion successful 2017 rubric winners England provided 16 of the 41.

In 2021 determination was different steadfast Welsh contingent aft they won the title.

"No-one remembers however good you played successful the autumn erstwhile it's Lions year," added 100-cap erstwhile England scrum-half Danny Care.

"You retrieve who won the Six Nations, oregon who played truly well, and who is playing successful those large knockout European games successful April and May."

Farrell volition besides request to determine what to bash astir those players based successful France who are not presently playing planetary rugby.

Toulouse's Jack Willis, 1 of the signifier players successful Europe, is ineligible for England but tin beryllium picked for the Lions; the aforesaid applies to Farrell's son, Owen, and a big of different Englishmen operating crossed the Channel.

Meanwhile Willis' team-mate astatine Toulouse, Blair Kinghorn, should astir surely marque the touring party, particularly fixed however salient helium volition beryllium for Scotland successful the Six Nations.

However the Lions circuit overlaps with the French Top 14 season, with the league's semi-finals taking spot the aforesaid play arsenic the Lions against Argentina successful Dublin, and the last the aforesaid time arsenic the Lions' circuit opener against the Western Force.

If Toulouse, for example, marque the final, Kinghorn would person to articulation the circuit late.

So Farrell has a conundrum. While the Lions absorption person fixed him the greenish airy to prime whoever helium wants, a Top 14 finalist could miss arsenic galore arsenic 4 of the Lions' 10 matches depending connected erstwhile they get connected the crushed successful Australia and the protocols astir pitchy lag.

What volition Farrell worth more: quality, oregon availability?

On the positive side, Farrell has been dealt a amended manus than erstwhile Lions brag Warren Gatland erstwhile it comes to clashes with the home leagues.

In 2021 the Premiership last took spot connected the aforesaid time the Lions faced Japan successful Edinburgh, portion the 2017 circuit of New Zealand was besides beset by scheduling issues.

This time, some the United Rugby Championship and Premiership finals instrumentality spot the play earlier the Argentina curtain-raiser.

In 2021, Wales skipper Alun Wyn Jones, England skipper Owen Farrell, Ireland skipper Johnny Sexton and Scotland skipper Stuart Hogg each had extended Lions experience. But it volition beryllium a antithetic representation this clip around.

England skipper Jamie George is simply a Lions seasoned and has a bully accidental of making the tour, but faces stiff contention for a Test spot astatine hooker.

Wales' Dewi Lake, different hooker, has performed admirably connected and disconnected the transportation this autumn but has ne'er been connected a Lions tour. The aforesaid applies to Caelan Doris of Ireland.

The Scotland captaincy has been passed astir recently, but seems to person recovered a comfy location with the outstanding centre Sione Tuipulotu. He is simply a shoo-in for the circuit party, but is different without immoderate Lions experience.

This should not substance excessively overmuch – Sam Warburton was a Lions rookie erstwhile helium was named skipper successful 2013 – but nevertheless Farrell does not person arsenic galore omniscient aged heads successful enactment roles arsenic Gatland did connected erstwhile tours.

As 2024 draws to a close, Doris is the starring candidate. His signifier astatine fig 8 has been accordant implicit the past fewer seasons – helium was connected the shortlist for satellite subordinate of the twelvemonth – and is increasing successful enactment acquisition with state and country.

But, again, the Six Nations should beryllium decisive; the winners of the Championship person provided the Lions skipper for 3 of the past 4 tours.

Farrell could besides look extracurricular the 4 nationalist squad skippers. In 1997 Martin Johnson was Lions skipper without being successful complaint of England and Ireland's Paul O'Connell successful 2009 and Warburton successful 2017 followed suit.

England's Maro Itoje – a Test starter connected the past 2 tours - is simply a contender successful this mould and is 1 of the favourites with the bookies.

If Farrell is capable to instrumentality his clip implicit selecting his playing squad, his coaching summons is somewhat much urgent, with negotiations to beryllium done betwixt the Lions and the assorted unions oregon clubs to guarantee merchandise from their contracts.

In theory, Farrell has countless coaches to take from arsenic helium looks to assemble a imagination backroom team. The world is simply a small different.

England brag Steve Borthwick – a cardinal antheral successful 2017 and wanted by Gatland again successful 2021 – is not available.

Gregor Townsend, an adjunct successful South Africa 3 years agone and a Lions leader arsenic a player, is expected to instrumentality his Scotland broadside connected their summertime tour. Ireland defence manager Simon Easterby is stepping into Farrell's shoes.

Other large names person been touted.

Ronan O'Gara, 3 times a Lions tourer and a serial victor arsenic a coach, would beryllium a superb coup for Farrell, but it is inconceivable helium would beryllium released by La Rochelle for the concern extremity of the Top 14 season.

It is adjacent much improbable Shaun Edwards would beryllium released by France with Les Bleus going connected circuit to New Zealand adjacent July.

Therefore Farrell's squad volition predominantly travel from those presently coaching astatine the location unions.

Scotland defence manager Steve Tandy, England onslaught manager Richard Wigglesworth, and exiled England manager Felix Jones – who by adjacent summertime volition beryllium a escaped cause – are each premier contenders.

So excessively is Ireland forwards manager O'Connell, a antheral who toured with favoritism successful 2005, 2009 and 2013. O'Connell was successful the premix to spell arsenic a manager past clip around, but lacked acquisition astatine the highest level astatine the time, thing that is not an contented 4 years on.

Another antheral successful the Ireland set-up, spot and conditioning guru Aled Walters, feels a certainty.

In January Farrell volition pb a Lions delegation to Australia for a reconnaissance trip, earlier the commencement of his eventual scouting mission, the Six Nations.

But archetypal helium volition instrumentality a fewer weeks to get his feet nether the table, aided by his Sandymount location being a stone's propulsion from Lions office successful Ballsbridge, and says helium volition not unreserved to marque the large calls.

"Obviously determination is simply a spot of readying that needs to happen," helium said.

"I americium going to springiness myself a small spot of abstraction to get crossed each that. If you get things done excessively early, you can't undo them. So a small spot of patience and present I'll person a spot of clip to beryllium capable to hopefully spot the way arsenic it should be."