by On the whiteboard in the team room of a Sydney hotel, Andy Farrell had written some key messages under the heading ‘Lions mentality’. It was July 2013 and in a few days the British and Irish Lions will face their third decisive Test against Australia in Sydney.
Farrell was still a rugby union coach. Just a year earlier England head coach Stuart Lancaster had handed him over to become defense coach after two years cutting his teeth at Saracens.
There were others in Warren Gatland’s coaching staff in the room with more Lions experience. Rob Howley and Graham Rowntree toured South Africa four years earlier.
Farrell may have had an impressive rugby league career to draw upon, having captained Great Britain at just 21, but in rugby union terms, he knew he knew he was entering uncharted waters. But, with the series on the line, Farrell was in no danger.
There were several bullet points on the whiteboard, including: “No dead legs – 5 minutes first,” “Nothing passive – Hammer,” “No waste” and finally “16 years – you get perspective the Lions.”
It was the first thing he said afterwards, however, that cemented his place in Lions folklore, delivering a speech that would soon achieve cult status similar to the great speeches of previous Lions coaches such as Jim Telfer and Sir Ian McGeechan.
First Farrell faced the performance in the second Test in Melbourne, a last-gasp victory that brought the series to the buyer.
“Last weekend, good effort, good effort as far as D [defence] concerned. We’re getting a lot of pressure, especially on our own line,” he said.
“They kept pushing away and pushing away and it was a valiant effort by the boys. That’s what I would tell you if I were a club coach or an international coach, but I’m not.
“We are your Lions coaches. And good defense or good spirit is not enough at this level. On D, we cannot let our emotional energy dip at all.
“You know why? Because there is no tomorrow. There is no tomorrow. We are taking the boys to the injury scene this weekend.
“Because our mentality will be different from the attitude of the British Lions teams for the last 16 years. Right, different perspective.
“Because for the last 16 years, it has been a failure. You surprise yourself as you go to another level. So that’s what being a Leo is all about. It’s not about anything else other than that. It’s not about participating, it’s not about being here, it’s about winning.”
The Lions won 41-16.
Such moments have gained mythic status over the years for supporters, but more significantly, it gave an insight into Farrell’s emotional and technical impact on the tour, which underpinned his reputation as a coach at the levels. highest of international rugby union.
Despite having played most of his career in the league, there were no players in the room at that Sydney hotel who were left in any doubt about Farrell getting what the Lions are all about. It was also one of the moments that would seed his appointment as head coach on Thursday, fittingly for next year’s tour of Australia.
By the time of the next tour, to New Zealand in 2017, Farrell had moved on to Ireland, quickly appointed by Joe Schmidt as his defense coach after incoming England head coach Eddie Jones in, he was released after the 2015 World Cup.
Footage of that historic tour, which culminated in a 1-1 draw, showed the lighter side of his personality.
During another squad speech in Auckland, Farrell’s presentation skills were put to use when the ‘Siri’ function on a mobile phone interrupted his speech.
“So far six boys have come to me to do a little extra. It’s only five minutes, that’s all,” said Farrell, trying to answer ‘Siri’: “I’m sorry, I’m not sure what you said?”
Undeterred by his advances, Farrell replied: “I said six men came up to me…” The squad erupted in laughter. “This is serious,” he said, with a beaming smile. His point was made.
Gatland, who had laid down the blocks of succession by initially selecting Farrell for the 2013 tour ahead of his Wales defense coach Shaun Edwards, a painfully controversial decision at the time, was impressed with his ability to connect with the players .
“I got a glimpse of Faz’s innovation during an early defensive meeting when Paul ‘Bobby’ Stridgeon, our strength and conditioning coach, interrupted the meeting when his phone went off. “Faz gave him both barrels and demanded that Bobby redo the structure and defensive strategy he had laid out,” Gatland recalled.
“We all sat back in our seats in embarrassment for Bobby but we were surprised when he repeated what Faz said word for word. It was only later that I found out that the whole thing was set up as a ploy for Faz to get his message across to the players. If the fitness guy can remember our defense, so can they.”
‘One of the best rugby brains’
Jamie George, who was selected for the New Zealand tour despite not starting a game for England and ending up in the Test team, agrees that Farrell’s ability to get his message across, and make every player feel special, was a stand-out feature. for his Lions input.
“He’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever worked with,” George said. “It’s one of the best rugby ideas I’ve ever come across. The way he delivers a very clear message, but it is very thoughtful. But I also think he was special because of his understanding of people and what people want because he’s there and he did it in a very similar way.
“He understands people and he understands that playing international rugby is a very stressful environment and his ability to give people time when they need it, time with their families, is a perfect fit for a Lions coach.
“It’s something that Warren Gatland has done very well, and I think it’s something that Andy will take and run with and I have no doubt that he will be very successful.”
“In 2017, he felt like he had a relationship with every player and he had plans for every player, if that makes sense,” George said. “I would complete a match and go through my performance with Steve Borthwick, who was on tour. But Andy would also pull me aside and give me another opinion.
“He would say: ‘What did you think of X, Y and Z?’ He was the defense coach but he was also talking to me about how we attack, how we work off the ball. He drives standards and is very clear about what he wants.
“But it was very individual. I felt that Andy had a plan for me, and then I would look across the room and he was having a very similar conversation with Peter O’Mahony and then with Owen. [Farrell]. That’s rare, that’s unique and I think that probably represents Andy as a person and as a coach.”
And again he would leave an indelible mark on the 2017 tour, when he delivered another inspirational and iconic address ahead of the third Test against the All Blacks in Auckland.
“I started saying to all of you: ‘How far can we take this?’ Well, it’s here,” Farrell told the squad. “Here it is. You dream about it, guys. I’m trying to ask myself: ‘Faz, what do you want?’ Honestly, it’s something that can’t be beat.
“We are a fire team and if we go in to steal we have to be f——. Performance, everything put together, we haven’t done it yet. It will be too much for them, they can’t handle it. We have f—— winners in this room. I believe you will be the best team in the world tomorrow.”
