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England star reveals lofty ambition Lions have 'been speaking about'
By PA
Ben Earl has revealed that Andy Farrell’s British and Irish Lions are aiming for greatness as their tour of Australia approaches the stage that will determine whether it is a success or failure.
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A stacked AUNZ Invitational XV containing 17 Wallabies and All Blacks provide dangerous final opponents before the Test series begins in Brisbane on July 19.
The Lions have so far dispatched all four Super Rugby franchises, each of them missing the bulk of their Australia stars, with the defeat to Argentina in Dublin that launched the tour the only blemish.
The hectic schedule of four matches in 11 days across four different cities has prevented any serious training from taking place, but Earl insists there can be no excuses in the pursuit of a lofty goal.
“There’s a big thing that we’ve been speaking about – being one of the best Lions teams ever,” the England number eight said.
“You can’t be the best Lions team ever and lose 3-0 in the Test series or not win many games. But also it’s how we go about things.
“Games like this one you have short preparation, sore bodies and are at the end of a tough two-week block, so you’ve got some excuses there if you wanted to roll over and not put your best stuff forward.
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“But then you’d be doing yourself, the jersey, the brand itself a complete disservice.”
While head coach Farrell has repeatedly highlighted the challenges posed by preparation being limited to training walk-throughs and meetings, his players are relishing the regular action.
“It’s been great. It’s been unbelievable,” Earl added. “At this time of the year – what are we, 54 weeks into a season now almost? – just playing is so fun, so enjoyable, so exciting.
“It’s the meetings, the analysis, the review stuff that can get tiresome. It’s the coolest thing to be able to play with players that previously you were previewing on how to stop them.
“I can wholeheartedly say that it’s the best thing I’ve ever done by a mile. I’ve learnt more in the last five weeks than I probably have in the last four years in terms of seeing the game differently, playing with different people and competing on the training pitch.
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“But it’s also been learning that, actually, going into a rugby performance you don’t need to do seven days of going into a monastery and coming out on a Saturday and being able to play.
“You just have to work out what you’re good at, what you’re going to do as a team and try and do it and see where you’re at after 80 minutes. That’s pretty cool.”
The Lions depart Adelaide for Brisbane on Sunday to begin preparations for the first Test, with Farrell scheduled to name his team on Thursday.