Andy Farrell's passion for the British and Irish Lions was best illustrated by his emotional speech before the 2013 decider against Australia.
“We're going to get these guys on the injury field this weekend,” he told the players as Warren Gatland's assistant.
“Our approach will be different to what the British Lions have demonstrated over the last 16 years.”
The Lions ended up winning 41-16 in Sydney, their first tour triumph since 1997.
Ahead of his reunion with the Wallabies, Farrell, who notes that his current talks with the team are “probably less dramatic”, has been tasked with getting the team back on track to win.
A 1-1 series draw in New Zealand in 2017, when he re-joined Gatland's side, followed the Lions' 2-1 defeat to South Africa due to COVID-19 restrictions in 2021.
Farrell's appointment as manager (he became the second Englishman to hold the job in the last 75 years, after Sir Clive Woodward in 2005) did not come as a surprise.
The 2023 World Rugby Coach of the Year was the clear favourite to take one of the sport's most prestigious positions after guiding Ireland to a global leadership position.
His true revelation as a standout candidate to succeed Gatland came in 2022, when he enjoyed a remarkable run in the New Zealand series.
The historic achievement began a 17-match winning streak that saw the team win the Six Nations Grand Slam, defeat every leading Test team in rugby and remain at the top of the world rankings.
Defeat to the All Blacks in the World Cup quarter-finals in October 2023 ended a record winning streak.
However, the disappointment did little to dampen the growing profile of a natural leader known for his emotional intelligence, outstanding people management skills, keen rugby mind and unflappable nature.
Farrell returned to action to lead Ireland to second successive
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
