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What Owen Farrell did on Tuesday to inspire Lions full-back Hogg
It can’t be easy for the seasoned Owen Farrell, a starter in all three Lions matches in the 2017 drawn Test series versus New Zealand, to make do with a place on the bench in the current series versus the Springboks, but Scotland captain Stuart Hogg has hailed the influence still being wielded by the England skipper despite being behind Dan Biggar in the out-half selection pecking order.
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Farrell stepped off the Lions bench last weekend to play 13 minutes as a replacement for Biggar in the Test series opener and he will again be held in reserve for this Saturday’s rematch back in Cape Town despite the Welsh player’s issue with a concussion.
Not since an England game versus the USA at the 2019 World Cup had Farrell occupied a bench role for a Test match before last weekend’s 22-17 Lions win, but the late penalty scorer has shown himself to be a squad player willing to muck in for the greater good rather than throw toys out of his pram over the way Warren Gatland has picked his Lions starting team for the Springboks series.
Asked who has ratcheted up the intensity ahead of a second Test where the Lions can clinch the series with a match to spare, Hogg said: “I have learned a huge amount about what needs to be said and when it needs to be said. Alun Wyn (Jones), an absolute legend of the game, has hit the nail on the head this week with what he has said.
“And somebody that has really, really impressed me in the last few weeks is Owen Farrell. He speaks really, really well. He gives you a huge amount of confidence to go out there and execute your role.
Awareness group Progressive Rugby criticised the Lions following confusing comments made by skipper Alun Wyn Jones about the Dan Biggar concussion issue#CastleLionsSeries #LionsRugby #RSAvBILhttps://t.co/cJWQyL3GNF
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 30, 2021
“And if you don’t quite get it right he is quick to jump on you at that opportunity as well but he spoke on Tuesday after the session and not everything was perfect, we had some tricky weather conditions to deal with but we got out of that session what we needed. It was scrappy at times, we know it is going to be scrappy in the games, but he spoke incredibly well after that and I left that training field in a much better place than what I initially thought. As I say, I have learned a huge amount from a lot of boys in this squad and I am absolutely loving the opportunity to get better.”
The tour to South Africa has been third time lucky for Hogg in terms of finally making the Test team. Previous trips in 2013 and 2017 unfolded without him lining out against either the Wallabies or the All Blacks, but he claimed the No15 jersey versus the Springboks despite getting benched last month by his club Exeter for their two Gallagher Premiership playoff matches.
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“I’m hugely excited,” enthused the Scotsman about the prospect of the Lions clinching a rare Test series success in South Africa. “These are the biggest games I have ever been involved in and I have played a lot of times for Scotland and have played big club games but to be involved in a Lions Test match series is absolutely incredible and I’m loving every opportunity that I am getting but I also understand I have a role and a responsibility within this team to execute tomorrow [Saturday].
“That is the kind of pressure I am putting on myself to perform. I am hugely excited and the kind of character that I am, between and the game is the worst time for me because I can get too hyper and have far too many coffees but I will enjoy the build-up like everybody else and get excited about taking on the Springboks.”
'The actual content of the video is hugely educational for fans, pundits and even players' @AndyGoode10 ??? asks is @RassieRugby hour-long video so different from what Gatland does? #CastleLionsSeries #LionsRugby https://t.co/HfoTX941gi
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 30, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
27 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
27 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
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