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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Alex Spink & Oisin Doherty

'Outstanding' Andy Farrell backed for Lions job by Welsh legend Sam Warburton

Wales legend Sam Warburton believes Ireland boss Andy Farrell is the 'outstanding' choice to lead the British and Irish Lions in 2025.

The Irish have gone from strength to strength under the stewardship of the Englishman and are the top ranked side in the World after a fabulous 2022 that saw them beat Australia and World Champions South Africa in the Autumn.

Farrell also masterminded Ireland's historic series win over the All Blacks in New Zealand last summer.

READ MORE: 'Paper talk' - Andy Friend believes Bundee Aki is not leaving Connacht for Munster

The men in green are bookies’ favourites to win their first Six Nations title since 2018 and lowest priced home nation for the World Cup.

Farrell refuses to look beyond their next game, a tasty championship opener at Warren Gatland’s Wales on Saturday week.

He learned how quickly fortunes can turn in sport when England bombed out in the pool stages of their home World Cup in 2015.

But Sam Warburton, two-time captain of the British and Irish Lions, is clear the cross-code great would be an “outstanding” choice to head up the 2025 tour to Australia.

“He would be great, phenomenal, because he gets it, he understands the Lions concept,” said the Welshman. “Even though he is from league he played for Great Britain.”

Warburton skippered the Lions under forwards coach Farrell on the 2013 and 2017 tours, winning in Australia and sharing the series with New Zealand.

Sam Warburton, left, and Jonathan Sexton of the Lions during the third Test match between New Zealand and the Lions at Eden Park in 2017 (Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

When he spoke on those tours you could sense he wished he was playing with us,” he said. “As players we wished he was! We respected him that much.

“We would have team meetings on a Tuesday, walk out and the boys would look at each other and be like 'I'm ready to go now'.

“He would get you to an emotional level that not many coaches can. You know that anything he is asking you to do, he would do himself 100 times over.”

The acclaim is well merited given Ireland’s historic series win in New Zealand last summer and losing just two of their last 17 Tests.

Farrell knows success breeds expectation, even in a country yet to reach a World Cup semi-final, but is clear as to how best to keep feet on the ground.

“You focus on what’s in front of you,” he said. “It’s about progression, being honest with yourself and realising where you need to take your game.

“It’s about how we go out and perform and show we’re fighting together to improve. We have a pretty hungry group to be able to do that.

“The pressure is more internal than anything,” he added. “That said, if the pressure from the outside does start to seep in a little, it’s good for us to be able to deal with that.

“We want to get better for what’s down the track. Dealing with a different type of pressure is going to be priceless for us moving forwards.”

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