Ugo Monye has praised Leinster and Ireland star Jamie Osborne, who joined the rest of the British and Irish Lions squad in Australia this week.
The versatile back came in as a replacement for the injured Elliot Daly ahead of the three Tests against the Wallabies.
Although he’s not expected to take part in the first Test in Brisbane on Saturday, he will have time to play himself into contention when the touring side face the First Nations & Pasifika XV in their midweek game on July 22.
Speaking to Prime Casino ahead of the Lions match against AUNZ yesterday – the New Zealand and Australia invitational side – Monye said: “It makes perfect sense. I watched Jamie’s first start for Ireland, I think it was out in South Africa last year. They won, and I thought he was brilliant.
“I’ve actually tracked him across the last few years for Leinster, and his ability to play not just as a centre, but as a 15, makes him such a versatile player.
“Bringing Jamie in feels like a like-for-like replacement for Elliot Daly. He’s someone who’s very good in the air and a good counter-attacker. Obviously, he has a brilliant rugby brain on him, and he has an enormous left boot as well. It makes perfect sense.”
Owen Farrell, the point of difference for the Lions
The Lions delivered arguably their greatest performance of the tour so far when they defeated AUNZ 0-48 in their own backyard, displaying the team cohesion vital for victories at this level.
“Test matches are won by doing the basics at a world-class level and building on that,” Monye said. “Whether that’s their set-piece defence, their connection in attack, or asserting a level of pressure that we’re used to seeing from the British and Irish Lions when they are at their best.”
Monye believes Owen Farrell can be the point of difference for the Lions.
“A fully fit Owen Farrell can make a difference to any side. Of course, we’ve seen that he’s not had the season that he would have liked in Paris.
“It’s probably the first time in his career that he’s kept getting interrupted with injuries, most recently his concussion.
“A fully fit Owen Farrell, though, when he’s at the peak of his powers, he can make the difference to any side. He’s a four-time British and Irish Lion, he’s got a wealth of experience.”
Farrell arrived on the field to face AUNZ with 30 minutes left on the clock, and impressed many with his level of class and innate ability to slow down time whilst on the ball.
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Three-time Lions tourist and current La Rochelle head coach Ronan O’Gara was very impressed with the returning Farrell, saying to Sky Sports after the match: “One of the standouts was Owen Farrell, he added to the team because he did the simple things well.
“He looked like he had all the time in the world. Moving the ball quickly, he makes other players look good. That was a massive positive for the Lions, having a competitor like Farrell with them.
“He was exceptional. People underestimate his composure. So much of what happens in a Test match is about your capacity to be composed, and Farrell is a master at that.”
The British and Irish Lions’ next match will be on July 19, as they take on the Wallabies in their opening Test.