Donal Lenihan: This tour could not be better timed for Andy Farrell

With about 14 tests Farrell has been offered the ultimate proving ground in assessing the skill set, character and make up of his potential World Cup squad

BALANCING ACT: Folau Fakatava, Akira Ioane and Dalton Papali'i work out during a New Zealand All Blacks Gym Session on June 27, 2022 in Auckland, New Zealand. Pic: Hannah Peters/Getty Images

The question on everyone’s lips after Leinster suffered shock defeats in last month's Heineken Champions Cup final and URC semi-final to La Rochelle and the Blue Bulls was what impact those reversals would have on the Irish side and whether, in the long run, they will prove a help or a hindrance to Andy Farrell and the national cause.

Perched high up in the Stade Velodrome in Marseilles on the day of the Champions Cup decider, close enough to engage in a bit of banter with Ronan O'Gara throughout the contest, Eddie Jones was observing with his entire England coaching team.