Andy Farrell Lions coaching picks are smart but uninspiring
It can take as long as four months to sail from the shores of the British Isles to the port of Brisbane, where the first Test of the British and Irish Lions tour will take place.
Given there’s only 114 days until that first Test, it would be one hell of a shift for Shaun Edwards – the Wigan-born defence coach currently worth his weight in gold as France assistant coach – to get to Queensland in time for kick-off.
But that’s what he said he’d do if he was called upon by Lions head coach Andy Farrell to serve under the crusade of a tour to Australia.
Clearly, then, he either had a change of heart or he was never called upon. That or the French national team blocked any move to send the former rugby league guru Down Under to help the Brits (and Irish).
Pick of the bunch
Instead interim Ireland head coach Simon Easterby will take the reins, it was announced on Wednesday. An odd decision given the quality of Edwards within the France regime and Easterby’s performance with Ireland during the Six Nations – where they finished below France and England having won the last two tournaments.
But generally speaking the announcement was to be expected. Scotland forwards coach John Dalziel will take up the same role with the Lions while John Fogarty goes to Australia as scrum coach. Andrew Goodman is set to be attack coach, with Richard Wigglesworth likely to oversee skills and backs as England’s sole representative.
It is the first time since 2001 that no Welsh coach will be involved with the iconic Lions touring party, but can anybody blame Farrell? I’m not sure anyone can name a Welsh coach from any part of the post-Gatland era, let alone one worthy of going to Australia.
It was expected for Farrell to go with what he knows, albeit the inclusion of Dalziel is a bit of an anomaly. However, you need some sort of representation for the Scots.
Whether Wigglesworth goes as a backs coach or as an attack coach, he has helped England turn a boring approach to Test rugby into one that really stuck it to the likes of Wales and Italy during the Six Nations.
Lions decisions
It is going to be a cracking tour and the selection of coaches really does bring it all closer to reality. But I do wonder whether the selection of this coaching set-up means we are going to see a player curveball.
Something that could be missing from the entirety of the touring party – coaches and players – are current or former players who have won on the British and Irish Lions tour.
Sometimes there’s no amount of information a coach can tell you that’ll be worth the same as a real playing experience, and that’s where this young Lions side could come unstuck.
If I were Farrell and co, I’d seriously be considering selecting one of the likes of Owen Farrell, Dan Cole, Courtney Lawes or Taulupe Faletau to remind the lads exactly what it means to win Down Under. The touring group last did it in 2013.
Former England Sevens captain Ollie Phillips is the founder of Optimist Performance. Follow Ollie @OlliePhillips11