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Complacency caution for Farrell as first Test looms
The Guardian
|July 14, 2025
Former All Blacks coach Ian Foster says Joe Schmidt can instil belief in Wallabies
Andy Farrell has been warned against underestimating his opposite number, Joe Schmidt, as the buildup to the British & Irish Lions series intensifies. Farrell is about to sit with his assistants to finalize his selection plans for the first Test against Australia on Saturday, but those familiar with the wily Schmidt insist the Lions could yet be outflanked.
While Farrell and Schmidt know each other extremely well from their time working together with Ireland, the former All Blacks coach Ian Foster believes the forthcoming series is not a foregone conclusion. Foster says the Lions' first Test selection will need to be spot-on if the touring team are to see off the Wallabies in Brisbane.
"They're a quality team with good depth, but that brings complications sometimes in selection," said Foster, having seen his combined AU & NZ team flattened 48-0 by the Lions in Adelaide on Saturday. "I think the test of the tour is how they deal with selection in the next week and keep the rest of the squad happy.
This story is from the July 14, 2025 edition of The Guardian.
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