Lions watch: Who impressed in Six Nations round one?

Lions watch: Who impressed in Six Nations round one?

This video can not be played

JavaScript must be enabled in your browser to play this video.

  • 25 Comments

Potential British and Irish Lions will compete for a spot among the summertime pride of Australian players at the Six Nations.

Andy Farrell, the Lions’ head coach, was monitoring the match between Ireland and England’s hopefuls at Aviva Stadium.

Six Nations Rugby Special pundits Sam Warburton and John Barclay based their starting XVs on the opening games of the weekend, despite Farrell not saying what he thought of the performances.

Rory Darge (Scotland)

Getty Images

Warburton, who captained the Lions from flanker on their 2013 and 2017 tours, knows his back-row onions.

“Trying to narrow Tom Curry, Rory Darge, Josh van der Flier and Jac Morgan into two or three players – I don’t know how the coach is going to do that”, he said as he considered one of Farrell’s most congested areas of contention.

“But Darge is Lions quality”.

Darge isn’t the biggest back row, weighing in at 15st 6lb, but has bulked up his ball-carrying. He barged over for Scotland’s opening try against Italy and kept making inroads.

The 24-year-old clocked up almost 28 post-contact metres in 13 carries, Scotland’s third-highest total.

His excellent breakdown work was key to the victory of Scotland against Italy’s Renaissance, which he won two turnovers.

John Barclay's Lions team based on first-round performances BBC Sport

Dan Sheehan (Ireland)

Dan Sheehan scores for Ireland Getty Images

Dan Sheehan, an Irish international, made his only other appearance since July’s torn knee ligaments against South Africa by retiring from the bench after 50 minutes.

The 26-year-old’s team-mates have described how he double-dosed on boxing and other exercises to recover from a previous recovery in a more fit, powerful, and agile manner.

It appears to have paid off.

Sheehan made up the Ireland bench, which was incredibly impressive.

He made a strong impact on his team’s fourth try, skillfully kicking Jack Conan into a hole before running a clever support line between Marcus and Fin Smith to slam the ball down for the win.

With Farrell watching in the stands, the Test shirt may already be Sheehan’s to lose.

On a 30-minute appearance on Six Nations Rugby Special, former Scotland captain Barclay remarked, “His influence off the bench just showed how far ahead at hooker.”

Ollie Lawrence (England)

Ollie Lawrence Getty Images

It is always tougher to press your case from a losing position, but Lawrence managed to in England’s defeat in Dublin.

He racked up some admirable victories in individual matches, stopping Sam Prendergast from leading the charge, thumping Ringrose in a tackle, and breaking the first-ever lead to England.

With a total of six opponents, he also defeated more defenders from either side in the match.

“Lawrence was sensational”, said Barclay. “Defensively he was banging boys backwards. He was effective at carrying the ball. He played a significant role in everything that England accomplished.

Finn Russell (Scotland)

Finn Russell under pressure from Michele Lamaro Getty Images

After missing the first two Tests, Russell was thrust into the decider with Dan Biggar injured in the first 10 minutes while on a tour with the Lions in South Africa.

Even if he was unable to prevent a 19-16 defeat that sent the series south, Russell managed to combine his game-breaking moments with shrewd game management on that occasion.

He is still the front-runner to control the tourists’ ship this time around, but Saturday’s performance did not help him.

There was the obvious mistake: throwing a brain-fade pass straight into Ignacio Brex’s hands cost his team seven points.

But there were other slips, with an offload into touch, a failure to put Stafford McDowall into a gaping hole just before Darge’s try and two, admittedly tricky, conversions missed.

Sam Warburton's Lions team based on first-round performances BBC Sport

Jac Morgan (Wales)

Jac Morgan Getty Images

Friday night was a true test of character. Wales captain Jac Morgan fought back from being defeated despite having a heavyweight France pack and a lopsided scoreline.

The 25-year-old made a whopping 81 metres with ball in hand, beat three defenders and made 25 tackles – all team-high totals.

Few people would argue Morgan’s inclusion against his inclusion, but a struggling Wales is unlikely to lend many players to the Lions’ cause.

The absentees

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, the wing for England, has been sidelined by a shoulder issue, which could potentially prevent him from playing in the Six Nations. Additionally, England have missed his top-end pace, which has scored five tries in nine Test appearances since he made his debut in the opening round of 2012, which has left him out of the tournament.

Ireland tight-head prop Tadhg Furlong missed the win over England with a calf strain, but the 32-year-old has started the last six Lions Tests and would bring a wealth of experience, along with his all-court game.

Sione Tuipulotu, the captain of Scotland, will miss the Six Nations with a pectoral injury, but he will undoubtedly receive the credit in the back after a fantastic year. His midfield partner-in-crime Jones scoring a hat-trick might have helped Tuipulotu’s cause.

Related topics

  • British &amp, Irish Lions
  • Rugby Union

Source: BBC

234Radio

234Radio is Africa's Premium Internet Radio that seeks to export Africa to the rest of the world.