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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Ugo Monye

Expect Farrell’s frustrations to vanish: the Lions will prioritise hunger and energy

Andy Farrell speaks with the British & Irish Lions squad at training in Perth
Andy Farrell will expect much more from his players in Saturday’s first match in Australia, against Western Force. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho/Shutterstock

The British & Irish Lions’ defeat by Argentina will have been shaken out of their system even before the jet lag. It is not difficult to draw a line under it. The tour starts when boots are on the ground in Australia and listening to the noises coming out of the camp, I’d be amazed if Andy Farrell is voicing the same frustrations after Saturday’s match against Western Force.

The handling errors against the Pumas stood out. I don’t mind so much those that were committed in aerial contests – though there were a lot in open play as well – but I think what really frustrated Farrell is that Argentina appeared to be playing with more urgency at the breakdown and when it came to feeding off the loose scraps.

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