Former hooker Brian Moore believes Australia is in desperate need of a dramatic turnaround ahead of the British & Irish Lions tour.
The Wallabies have struggled under new coach Joe Schmidt, following the dismissal of Eddie Jones after a disappointing 2023 Rugby World Cup campaign.
He wrote: “The recent form of the Wallabies should be of major concern for the Lions and their supporters. Currently ranked ninth in the world and without success in the Super Rugby Pacific state tournament, it is difficult to see the host nation putting together the challenge needed.
“The tour will not lack for support and the broadcasters will produce the usual puffed-up publicity that majors on the Lions’ history and mystery but, ultimately, the real test is what happens on the field.
“Everyone should pray for a major reversal in Australia fortunes, from the dismal low of their recent 62- 27 record loss to Argentina in the Rugby Championship.
“The Lions are now a commercially powerful organisation and will survive one sub-standard tour, not least because Australia is such a wonderful country to visit.
“It will not be good enough in the longer term and that might renew calls for them to look further afield in their sojourns.”
Three ex-Lions were not impressed with Warren Gatland as head coach
Finn Russell has become the latest Lions tourist to openly criticize head coach Warren Gatland following the 2-1 series defeat against South Africa.
#1. Sean O’Brien (2017)
The Irishman started all three Tests of the 1-1 drawn series with New Zealand.
“If we had a little more structure during the weeks, and more of an attack gameplan, driven way earlier in the tour, I think we could have won 3-0,” O’Brien said.
“With the players we had, we should have won the series.”
He later reinforced this point of view during an interview with Lions teammate James Haskell
“When you look at the players we had – there was so much world-class talent in the squad, enough to have won all the Tests.
“I know all about the history, how the Lions have only won seven Tests or something like that in New Zealand over the years.
“But look at what has happened to New Zealand since 2017. They’re still a brilliant team. But we (Ireland) beat them in 2018; South Africa beat them down there in 2018, Argentina had their win last year, England destroyed them in the (2019) World Cup.
“Think about it. The Lions not only had the best of England but also Ireland, Scotland and Wales. That’s where I was coming from; we had the players to do it. I didn’t intend to insult or undermine anyone by saying that.
“I certainly don’t want to do that this time because Warren’s a good coach, the right man to lead this tour. But do I still think we could have won 3-0? Yeah, I do.”
Sean O’Brien facts:
- Internationally, he played for Ireland for ten years, and toured twice with the British & Irish Lions in 2013 and 2017
- O’Brien played across the back-row, though he primarily plays as an openside flanker
- He bought Bellamy’s Pub in Ballsbridge with Leinster teammates Rob Kearney, Dave Kearney and Jamie Heaslip. After an extensive refurbishment, it was reopened as “The Bridge 1859”