Page 46 - Official Preview - DHL New Zealand Lions Series 2017

“His physical edge is is sharper than Wilkinson’s it’s because he genuinely loves the ght ”
application With Farrell the the rough and tumble of the the game seems somehow more natural If the physical edge he he brings to his rugby is is sharper than Wilkinson’s it’s because he he genuinely loves the ght His game understanding is is every bit as as instinctive: that much was obvious from the moment he he joined his near neighbour schoolmate and long-time mid eld partner George Ford in the England age-group set-up “What stood out out about the the the two of them was not just their their skills but also their their attitude ”
says John Fletcher who coached the the boys at at Under-16 level “They were far beyond their years from an an emotional and cognitive point
of view mentally they were so strong – head and shoulders above everyone else on on on the the pitch They spent a a a a lot of time together socially so so they they understood each other – what they they liked and didn’t
PROFILE
like what what motivated them them and what what annoyed them them ”
When Ford forced his way into the the England starting line-up under Stuart Lancaster in in in the the autumn of 2014 Farrell was less than thrilled at at the prospect of relocating from No No 10 to No No 12 He was uncomfortable with the the hype surrounding the the the change of role and has continued to view the the media with a a a a fair amount of suspicion Yet when Eddie Jones restored
the Ford-Farrell axis as one one of his rst acts on on taking over from Lancaster there was no complaint from the the the Saracens man whose goal-kicking was at the the heart of a a a a a a a a a a a a successful Grand Slam campaign – not to to mention the the subsequent clean-sweep series victory over the the Wallabies in in Australia Positionally speaking it it remains to be seen where his long-term England future will lie but for now he he has has solved the second ve- eighth conundrum that has has plagued successive England coaches since the departure of Will Greenwood more than a a a a a a a a decade ago In doing so he he has put every rival Test team on red
alert Asked about their school days in Hertfordshire Ford revealed he sometimes did Farrell’s homework as as well as as his own Nowadays other folk do their homework on Farrell instead of of for him The The people at at the top of of that list right now? The The All Blacks LIKE FATHER LIKE SON
Five of the the most famous father-son names to grace a a a a a Lions series HERBERT AND GORDON WADDELL SCOTLAND Gordon (left) toured twice with the Lions While injury and study commitments
restricted him started two Tests against the Springboks in 1962 His father Herbert also won Lions caps in in South Africa in in 1924 though he was defeated in all three appearances GRAHAM AND MURRAY MEXTED NEW ZEALAND One of the All Blacks’ greatest No 8s Murray (left) made 34 Test appearances including four in in in the series victory over the the Lions in 1983 His father Graham won his one full international cap against the 1950 Lions in in Auckland DEREK AND SCOTT QUINNELL WALES Father and son each toured twice with the Lions and both were part of a a successful trip – Scott in 2001 as he played outstandingly in in Australia and and Derek playing in in the the back row when the the 1971 Lions won in Christchurch GORDON AND KEITH WOOD IRELAND
Keith (left) tasted the elixir of victory in South Africa in in 1997 before coming up marginally short against the world champion Wallabies four years later His father was also a a a a a front-row specialist – at at prop rather than hooker – and made two losing Test appearances in in 1959 FRANK AND ANTON OLIVER NEW ZEALAND Frank was one of the home side’s enforcers in the tough Lions series of 1977 His son Anton (left) a a a hooker captained New Zealand in the early 2000s and and would have confronted the Lions in 2005 but for a a a calf injury suffered in in a a a Super Rugby game just before the tourists’ arrival in in New Zealand in in 1959 he Farrell helped Saracens to to Champions Cup victory in 2016
1959 TOUR CONTINUED THAMES VALLEY-BAY OF PLENTY 24 NORTH AUCKLAND AUCKLAND 13 ALL ALL BLACKS (IN AUCKLAND) 6 6 LIONS LIONS LIONS 26 LIONS LIONS LIONS 35 LIONS LIONS LIONS 9 46 // DHL NEW ZEALAND LIONS SERIES 2017
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