LONG READ Mick Cleary: 'Itoje is the standard bearer for this Lions group. He leads the way.'

There are 15 days until the British & Irish Lions walk out at the Suncorp to a sea of Red vying the green and gold clad Wallaby fans in a Series for the ages. Andy Farrell doesn’t have a moment to lose as problems crop up  as fast as he fixes them. There can be no resting on his laurels, the race for selection continues apace.

1 – Faz and Faz

There was a moment during England’s ill-fated 2015 Rugby World Cup campaign when Andy Farrell was asked at a press conference about the difficulties of selecting his son. Even though that decision was Stuart Lancaster’s the inference in the question was that Farrell Snr would exert undue influence. His fury at such a suggestion was barely contained. Cross Big Faz at your peril. The same applies today. And even more so. Yet the truth remains the same. Blood lines will have had nothing to do with Andy Farrell’s decision to summon Owen as a replacement for the stricken Elliot Daly. The easy thing would have been to call-up Scotland’s Tom Jordan or Wales’ Blair Murray – talented, versatile individuals with Jordan only a stone’s throw away in New Zealand. The hard-nosed choice is Owen. Farrell will cop a lot of flak for it, Owen too, ironic given that he removed himself from England consideration to escape the cess pit that is social media criticism. On recent form, it does look barmy as Owen simply doesn’t have any form. But as to what makes a Lion tick, Owen has so much to offer as one of Andy’s assistant coaches, Johnny Sexton, knows only too well as a one-time Lions rival/colleague. The clock is already ticking on this Lions tour. There is barely time left to assimilate a rookie Lion with all the whys and wherefores of a fast-moving trip. It is a bold call, a gamble in many ways. Yet it would have been a logic-based, objective call not a tug-on-the-heartstrings choice. Form is temporary, class is permanent, though. And, were it any other player, you might expect some sort of internal backlash with a risk of destabilizing the group. What price the thoughts of Fin Smith and Marcus Smith? In theory, they might be bumped down the pecking order. In reality, they know that Owen has earned his spurs. I have never heard any player moan about favouritism towards Owen Farrell. He has universal respect among players. They have nothing but admiration for his selflessness, for his deep-rooted commitment to the team first and foremost. He epitomises what the Lions stand for. One for all, all for one. And that is why he has got the call.

2 – In the Injury Lap of the Gods

Is there any more agonising sight in sport than the grimace on a player’s face when he realises that he’s injured and likely to miss out on the adventure of a lifetime? First, Tomas Williams. And now Elliot Daly who had hoped against hope that the horrible blow he took to his left forearm when tackling Jock Campbell, was not going to be as calamitous as it felt. But Daly knew. He knew. Freeze frame those pictures of agony for they capture the fleeting essence of the Lions. Seizing the moment is what it is all about. Why does injury always seem to strike when the stars seem to be aligned in your favour? You could make a case for both Williams and Daly being on the podium for the top performers thus far on tour. And, then, boom, from a clear blue sky the darkness descends. Get used to it. There will be more to come. Rob Howley in 1997. Brian O’Driscoll in 2005. There is a litany of previous injury doom-and-gloom to reference. That’s why the best laid plans of the Lions are never more than pencilled entries in a notebook. Coping with the set-backs is what makes or breaks a Lions head coach. Graham Henry may have lost the changing room in 2001 but you had to feel for the pressure injury put him under when he had to resort to summoning Scotland scrum-half, Andy Nicol, from the beery delights of leading a tour party on the Friday evening to sit on the bench for the decisive third test in Sydney. Fingers crossed at every turn.

3 – Scores on the Doors

There is plenty of credit in the Lions’ ready reckoner following their first two games on Australian soil. The scoreboard reads well, with 106 points scored and only 19 conceded, despite the fact that there have been legitimate question marks raised against both their attack and defence in those two matches. Never underestimate the boost to morale that positive results bring to a team, especially so on a Lions tour where a gathering sense of momentum towards the test series is so important. Yes, there have been handling errors – 14 against the Reds – and while they were not as prone to error as they had been against Argentina and the Force with their ‘tippy-tappy’ inclinations, there have still been mistakes. They can be cleaned up and partnerships will improve with greater time together. Crucially, though, there is shape to the attack, a clear sense of intent and a desire to stress the opposition. There may be no out-and-out X-factor players such as a Jason Robinson in their ranks but the tries will come from collective pressure. As with the attack, so with the defence. There have been flaws and failings – Queensland bust through fair too easily in the opening exchanges. And yet, only 19 points against them. Things need to get better, much better in part, but these Lions have notches on their belt, hefty victories to soothe their souls.

4 – Leadership

Maro Itoje comes of age. Did we really doubt him after he was left out of the first game of the tour in Australia? No, not really. And for those who might have harboured even slivers of concern about his right to a starting place after one of the other contenders for the second-row berth, Ireland’s Joe McCarthy, had such a stormer in Perth, here was proof that Maro is the Man. Oh, ye of little faith. Itoje had just as immense an outing as did McCarthy, perhaps even more so. Whatever. You’d say that the combo was to be the test pairing against the Wallabies. In Itoje’s case that is a real boon for the Lions. The captain has to prove himself in some way or other – by his Martin Johnson fierceness or his Sam Warburton work-rate and cleverness. Itoje is not a tub-thumper but he most certainly has presence and leads by example as he did at the Suncorp. He knows too that he has terrific decision-makers in Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell to scan the field and make the right play. The little bits and pieces are also falling into place as shown when hanging back as the teams left the field at half-time to have a word – a polite word, naturally – with referee, James Dolman. Lineout, breakdown, fringe blocks, driving tackles – Itoje is the standard bearer for this Lions group. He leads the way.

5 – The Battle of the Breakdown

This is a long-running conundrum, shuffling through the right personnel to form a back-row that can find an all-important edge at the breakdown. The Wallabies are strong in that department with their well-balanced trio of Rob Valetini, Fraser McReight and Harry Wilson. The Lions appeared to have riches to spare in their choice of flanker – although the best of the lot is back in France in Jack Willis, still celebrating Toulouse’s Top 14 victory – but it has begun to narrow down, all the more so after the performance against the Reds. Simply put, Jac Morgan’s star has risen while that of Tom Curry has waned. Jack Conan at No 8 did his prospects a power of good, too, with a robust, unflagging performance, a classic of its type, driving forward and dragging the game with him. Ben Earl has many attributes as evidenced by his shift in the centres against Reds but he does not have the punch of a Conan. Farrell has run through his options during the lead-in games, experimenting with dual flankers but it’s becoming clear that a conventional back-row formation is the way to challenge the Aussies for ball on the ground and drive round the edges. Morgan gets the nod for the moment ahead of Jack van der Flier for his jackal work in particular, notching three turnovers against Queensland. Tadhg Beirne needs to up his game but either he or Ollie Chessum present valuable lineout possibilities at 6 with Conan at No 8

Test XV (for now)

B Kinghorn; T Freeman, H Jones, S. Tuipulotu, J Lowe; F Russell, J Gibson-Park; E Genge, D Sheehan, F Bealham, M Itoje (capt), J McCarthy, O Chessum, J Morgan, J Conan.