Lions get started in sold-out Aviva after Schmidt shows Wallabies' hand
IT WASN'T YET midday, but the three lads from Norfolk were keen to get first-hand experience of Dublin's famous pubs.
They don't have the fortune to be chasing the Lions in Australia so these few days in Ireland count as their tour.
It's easy to focus on the commercial aspect of the Lions. In fact, it's impossible to ignore. It's a money-making beast. Ticket prices ranging up to nearly €200 a pop for this evening's clash with Argentina [KO 8pm, TG4/Sky Sports] were steep. But they've all been snapped up.
The Lions will make millions of euros from this week in Dublin. Yet for many fans, this day out will be a special occasion. Their first and maybe last chance to see the Lions in the flesh without travelling around the world. Thousands upon thousands of fans will make the long trip Down Under, but there will be plenty of Irish, English, Scottish, and Welsh supporters whose only in-person taste of it comes tonight.
It is welcome that the action finally kicks off now. Lions tours involve very long run-ups. There are only so many times we can hear players and coaches talk about how special an honour it is. The real power of the Lions is when they show us exactly what it means.
Andy Farrell has picked an exciting, English-influenced matchday 23 for this non-capped clash with an Argentina side that should bring huge passion on what is a big occasion for them too. Los Pumas would love the Lions to start touring Argentina at some point, but the chance to beat them in Dublin will be motivating for now.
Felipe Contepomi's men were thrilling to watch last year and though they're missing some frontline players through injury and club duty, it's still a good side they've named. Despite their lack of time together in recent months, they'll hope that their cohesion proves stronger than some of the relatively fresh Lions combinations.
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While Farrell is all about his side getting off to a strong start before they fly out to Australia tomorrow, he will have been keeping a close eye on the latest from Wallabies camp.
Wallabies boss Joe Schmidt. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
Joe Schmidt yesterday confirmed his 36-man squad for the Australians' single warm-up game against Fiji on 6 July. There is still scope for the former Ireland boss to make some tweaks, but his Test series team is set to come from this initial group.
It was never likely that Schmidt's Wallabies group would feature big bolters for the Lions series, although he has included two uncapped players in the lightning-quick Brumbies wing Corey Toole and Western Force flanker Nick Champion de Crespigny, a Canberra native who has family roots in Normandy and spent three seasons with Castres.
Schmidt did the bulk of his experimenting last year, handing out 19 Wallabies debuts in total at the same time as turning their fortunes around after the shambolic and short-lived Eddie Jones era.
It seems all but certain that Schmidt's side for the Lions Tests will look similar to the teams that beat England, Scotland, and Wales last year, as well as running Ireland close in Dublin.
One thing Schmidt has yet to do is confirm his Wallabies captain for the Lions series. Number eight Harry Wilson filled that role last year but reports in Australia suggest that Schmidt could back scrum-half Jake Gordon to take over as skipper now.
31-year-old Gordon was among the surprise omissions from Jones' squad for the 2023 World Cup but has become the starting number nine under Schmidt and has plenty of captaincy experience with the Waratahs.
Schmidt must be relieved that superstar Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii will be ready to go for this series, having recovered from his fractured jaw. Suaalii also had a toe injury earlier this year, but he was impressive in his seven Super Rugby starts for the Waratahs, six of which were at fullback and one at outside centre. He'll be a handful for the Lions wherever he plays.
The other important news for Farrell from Australia is that a bunch of the Western Force players named in Schmidt's squad will remain with their franchise in Perth to face the Lions tomorrow week in the first warm-up game on Aussie soil.
The Lions training in Dublin yesterday. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
Scrum-half Nic White, second row Darcy Swain, tighthead Tom Robertson, wing Dylan Pietsch, and back row Champion de Crespigny will be with the Force to face the Lions. That means a better challenge for the Lions and game time for those players before they link up with the Wallabies.
Not all the Western Force players are staying in Perth. Openside flanker Carlo Tizzano, second row Jeremy Williams, out-half Ben Donaldson, and wing Harry Potter will go straight into Wallabies camp, underlining that they're far more likely to play against Fiji and the Lions.
Nonetheless, it's only right that the Force and the other Super Rugby sides should be as close to full strength as possible against the Lions, even as Schmidt keeps his key men in Wallabies camp to prepare for the Tests.
Farrell and co. will soon be on Australian soil. They leave Dublin in two parties tomorrow, one flying to London and then directly to Perth, the other with a stopover in Qatar.
Before they get their tour of Australia underway, the Lions will look to give the lads from Norfolk and everyone else on mini-tours to Dublin plenty to cheer about tonight.
LIONS: Marcus Smith; Tommy Freeman, Sione Tuipulotu, Bundee Aki, Duhan van der Merwe; Fin Smith, Alex Mitchell; Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Finlay Bealham; Maro Itoje (captain), Tadhg Beirne; Tom Curry, Jac Morgan, Ben Earl.
Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Pierre Schoeman, Tadhg Furlong, Scott Cummings, Henry Pollock, Tomos Williams, Elliot Daly, Mack Hansen.
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ARGENTINA: Santiago Carreras; Rodrigo Isgro, Lucio Cinti, Justo Piccardo, Ignacio Mendy; Tomas Albornoz, Gonzalo García; Mayco Vivas, Julian Montoya (captain), Joel Sclavi; Franco Molina, Pedro Rubiolo; Pablo Matera, Juan Martín Gonzalez, Joaquin Oviedo.
Replacements: Bautista Bernasconi, Boris Wenger, Francisco Coria Marchetti, Santiago Grondona, Joaquín Moro, Simón Benitez Cruz, Matías Moroni, Santiago Cordero.
Referee: James Doleman [New Zealand].
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