Former England forward Courtney Lawes has named the excluded second Test player he wants to see involved in Saturday’s third British and Irish Lions Test versus the Wallabies in Sydney.
With Andy Farrell’s Lions chasing a 3-0 series whitewash, the 36-year-old also recalled his experiences from 2016 when England were in Australia chasing a similar Test series outcome.
The two-tour Lion from 2017 and 2021 then explained his admiration for the recent growth in Maro Itoje’s leadership skills and added why he is looking forward to seeing how Henry Pollock fares when he returns to club rugby at Northampton following the tour.
Writing in The Times, Lawes had claimed in the build-up to the second Test in Melbourne that anything less than a 3-0 series win for the Lions “would be viewed as a bit of a failure” and he stuck by that opinion when reflecting on last Saturday’s match at the MCG and looking ahead to the series finale in Sydney.
“The form back-rower in the world…”
“A whitewash will trump any ideas of dishing out Test caps on Saturday,” he said. “If there are changes, I would like to see Ben Earl play on Saturday after he was dropped from the bench for the second Test.
“He has been the form back-rower in the world. He would bring a lot more dynamism to the Lions’ attack and a huge work rate in defence – and he offers another strong jackal threat over the ball and could fit in at No6. Josh van der Flier would be another one deserving to play. Either of those two could come in.”
It was nine years ago with Eddie Jones’ England when Lawes found himself in the same position the Lions are currently in, 2-0 up in a series against the Wallabies and looking to close out the clean sweep. “We were so determined to achieve a 3-0 win after sealing the series,” he remembered.
“The finale was more important than the first two Tests, and we won 44-40. I would be surprised if there were that many points this weekend. Certainly, I don’t think the Lions will opt for fast and loose.
“Eddie Jones replaced Luther Burrell after half an hour in the first Test of that tour, and he did the same for Teimana Harrison in the third, even though the series was over. If we were content to lose the final Test, we wouldn’t have done that.
“We were losing the battle. I came on for Teimana to shore up the defence and our physicality. I was close to starting, and it was my opportunity to prove that I should have started.”
Praise for Maro Itoje
Switching to Lions skipper Itoje, Lawes gave his take on the lock’s recent evolution. “He has always impressed in interviews with the press and has been talked about as a captain for such a long time, but he hasn’t developed as a leader until recently.
“Ellis Genge understands how teams function and how you get the best out of people. That wasn’t Maro’s strength, and he has had to go away and work on that. Adding that to his game is why he’s become a successful Lions captain.
“He doesn’t swear in his team talks. You don’t want it to just be F-words with no substance, but it can help to emphasise a point. If you have the right people around you, you don’t necessarily have to do that.
“Maro is more analytical, focusing on how they are going to work around the pitch, rather than trying to get the best out of the team emotionally. You can leave that to other players.
“It’s not just one person who leads a rugby team anymore. It’s a leadership group. You really can’t do it on your own. No one has everything you need to get the best out of your players.”
Currently back in pre-season training at Brive, the Pro D2 club he joined in 2024 after a massive shift at Northampton, Lawes finished his latest dispatch with a reflection on Pollock, the 20-year-old bolter who secured Lions tour selection on the back of a single Test appearance with England and some impressive club performances.
“When the tourists return for their clubs, it will be interesting to see how Henry Pollock fares. It was always going to be challenging for Henry in Australia once he had made a name for himself, which he has done so quickly.
“People are expecting you to do what you are known for. Defenders are aware of that and focused on stopping you. That makes it difficult to continue your rocket to stardom.
“He has not played badly, but it’s just a quieter patch of rugby for him. I am sure he will figure it out and he will be able to get back to where he was. He is going to have to think about how he can get himself involved in a game that is not necessarily the kind of open, loose, fluid game he likes.”
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