Andy Farrell has welcomed the selection headaches coming his way this week after a ‘controlled’ and ‘professional’ victory over an AUNZ Invitational XV.
The Lions ran in eight tries in a 48-0 victory in Adelaide, with Duhan van der Merwe crossing for a hat-trick, to warm up for next weekend’s first Test in style.
There were no shortage of players to put their names in the frame for a spot in the matchday squad in Brisbane, which is just how the Head Coach likes it.
“That’s exactly what we want, people putting their hands up,” he said.
“It was a good, professional performance. When you play these type of games, the type of personnel you are coming up against, all sorts of things can happen.
“But I thought we played a nice, controlled game of rugby and didn’t really let them get in the game or get their confidence going.
“We are pleased with our game control, that’s for sure. There were some great individual performances there and I thought we gelled well as a team today.”
In contrast to some of the prior Tour matches, the Lions were instantly into their stride at the Adelaide Oval and scored three tries inside the first quarter, Van der Merwe going over either side of Ben White’s trademark dart under the posts.
The Scotland wing completed his treble after the break while his fellow countrymen Sione Tuipulotu and Scott Cummings also crossed before Ronan Kelleher and Henry Pollock added gloss to the scoreline late on.
“The individual performances are there for everyone to see but it’s about the collective,” Farrell added.
“Even on things like the kick-chase, the pressure we created to get the ball in places we wanted to get the ball, how we worked so hard in defence for one another to create turnover ball we wanted. It was very pleasing.
“We need to relax and enjoy this as it has been a full on 15 days. I am really proud of everyone involved, not just the players. It has been a tough old block but we are into the next one, the most important, the one we came for.”
Farrell’s son, Owen, enjoyed an impressive cameo in his first runout of the Tour but a dampener came in the form of an injury to Luke Cowan-Dickie, who departed on a stretcher at the end of the first half with suspected concussion.
Cowan-Dickie was back smiling in the stands among the Lions squad in the second half but Farrell revealed both he and Garry Ringrose now look like doubts for the series opener.
“Luke is in good spirits, he got up straight away as he got off the stretcher and he is back to his normal self,” he said.
“It is unfortunate for him but it looked like a concussion so we will see what has to happen off the back of that.
“Garry had lingering signs of concussion from last week, he had a headache and unfortunately he failed that (test).
“It’s very sad for Garry but he will be back within the rest of the series. That’s just the way the game goes.
“Jamie (Osborne) has come in, which is good, and we will see what the fallout is from this tomorrow. We will make some decisions on the back of that.”
