Andy Farrell Hints At Leading British & Irish Lions Again For 2029 New Zealand Tour

Andy Farrell would beryllium willing successful different stint arsenic nan British & Irish Lions caput coach pursuing his side’s bid triumph complete nan Wallabies. Farrell said he had hugely enjoyed his squad’s successful run successful Australia and hinted he would see doing nan occupation again successful New Zealand successful 2029.

Despite nan Lions’ 22-12 3rd Test defeat, which ended nan squad’’s ambitions of a 3-0 bid sweep, Farrell did not sound remotely for illustration a man who has coached his last Lions Test. “Everyone knows what I deliberation astir this concept,” said Farrell, reflecting connected nan Lions’ first bid triumph since 2013.

In nan shorter word he will beryllium returning to his domiciled arsenic Ireland’s caput coach but made a constituent of paying a fulsome tribute to nan unit and players progressive successful “an unbelievably special” bid triumph that “will enactment pinch america forever”.

Farrell did concede nan bid had ended connected a “frustrating” statement but made clear Australia had afloat deserved their win. “We said each on we wanted to triumph each crippled but nan champion squad won connected nan nighttime today. I person conscionable said to nan lads that connected reflection it mightiness return 1 aliases 2 beers, but they will beryllium unbelievably proud of what they achieved passim this tour.

Dan Sheehan, who took complete arsenic skipper aft Maro Itoje grounded a caput wounded assessment, made clear, though, that nan Lions would person immoderate regrets astir their fperformance successful Sydney. “It’s gutting, to beryllium honest,” he told Sky Sports. “The purpose of nan circuit was a 3-0 triumph but adjacent play to nan Wallabies. It is disappointing particularly successful beforehand of nan magnitude of group who person travelled present to support us. It’s conscionable not what we wanted coming and it leaves a sour taste.”

Farrell, meanwhile, has brushed speech suggestions nan Lions missed a instrumentality aft lightning storms successful nan section area forced nan crippled to beryllium delayed for 38 minutes successful nan 2nd half. The Lions opted to lukewarm up backmost connected nan section for 5 minutes less than their opponents and nan Wallabies coach, Joe Schmidt, felt his broadside had responded amended to nan hiatus. “We had been warned location mightiness beryllium lightning truthful we had a small spot of a plan,” he said.

Schmidt besides praised nan measurement his players bounced backmost from nan disappointment of losing nan first 2 Tests. “That first half successful nan first Test was arsenic bully arsenic I’ve seen [the Lions play],” said Schmidt. “They’ll judged arsenic winners because that’s what happened. I extremity my chapeau to what was a highly successful tour. But I couldn’t beryllium prouder of nan measurement nan players rebounded.”