**Ronan O’Gara Suggests Andy Farrell Is Concealing Disappointment Despite Lions’ Opening Win Over Australia**
British and Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell may be privately frustrated with his side’s display in their first Test triumph over Australia, according to Lions legend Ronan O’Gara. Despite leaving Brisbane’s SunCop Stadium with a 27-19 victory, O’Gara suspects Farrell will want significant improvement from his squad as the Test series continues.
O’Gara, a revered veteran of three British and Irish Lions tours, offered his insights in the aftermath of the contest, stating that although Farrell would undoubtedly welcome the win, he would not be pleased with the manner in which it was achieved. The Lions established an impressive 17-5 advantage at the interval, after tries from Sione Tuipulotu and Tom Curry, but failed to fully capitalise on their dominance in the second half.
The start to the second period looked promising for the Lions, with Dan Sheehan crossing the whitewash early to extend their lead. However, Australia clawed their way back into the match through late tries from Carlo Tizzano and Tate McDermott, setting up a tense final quarter and providing the Wallabies something to build on before the second Test in Melbourne.
While the Lions’ victory was rarely in serious doubt, the hosts’ late rally highlighted areas of concern for Farrell. O’Gara was candid about what he perceives as an unfulfilled potential in the performance, commenting to Sky Sports: “I think secretly Andy Farrell will be fuming with the performance. But he’ll be delighted with the result, so I think it’s a fantastic situation for him to be in.”
O’Gara elaborated further, noting that the result gives Farrell licence to issue frank feedback to his squad. “When you give a performance like that, you can go hard at the players, because you’ve got what you wanted in terms of the big W,” he observed. “But then you also can go ‘this is the growth in our team’,” he continued, highlighting the opportunity for the Lions’ camp to learn and build from the experience.
Discussing the difference in quality between the two sides, O’Gara was adamant that the Lions boast a significantly stronger set of players than their Australian opposition. He remarked, “There could easily be 40 points of difference between the two teams… and we may see that. And that’s not disrespecting the Australian team; I think we (the Lions) are blessed with some unbelievably good rugby players.”
Pointing to individual moments of brilliance, O’Gara singled out the likes of James Lowe for his creativity and Finn Russell for his distribution, as well as praising the dynamic performances of the Lions’ forward pack and back row. “We didn’t see many attacking kicks tonight, but for me there’s a gulf in class between the two sides,” he concluded.
With the Lions maintaining their unblemished Test record in Brisbane—the Wallabies have yet to defeat the Lions in a Test match there in nine outings—the pressure is now on Australia ahead of the critical second Test in Melbourne. Before that encounter, however, the Lions are set for a midweek fixture against a First Nations and Pasifika XV at Marvel Stadium, likely to offer Farrell a chance to trial combinations and reinforce his standards ahead of their return clash with the Wallabies.
The narrative emerging from both camps is one of unfinished business. For the Lions, the priority will be to turn first-half dominance into sustained, 80-minute performances. For the Wallabies, their late surge in the first Test gives hope that the remainder of the series has plenty of intrigue yet to unfold.
As the build-up to the second Test intensifies, all eyes will be on how Farrell’s side respond to this early wake-up call. Rugby supporters on both sides will be watching closely to see if the Lions can deliver the statement performance that O’Gara believes they are capable of showcasing.