Johnny Sexton hoping history doesn't repeat itself when the Lions meet the Brumbies
British and Irish Lions Coach Johnny Sexton is interviewed by the media. Pic: Robbie Stephenson/PA Wire.
Johnny Sexton remembers with clarity the last time he was in Canberra and he does not want a repeat of his 2013 experience when the British & Irish Lions meet the Brumbies in a rematch a dozen years later at GIO Stadium on Wednesday.
Sexton was a non-playing member of Warren Gatland’s squad that night, watching on four days out from the opening Test against Australia as the Brumbies knocked the tourists over for a famous 14-12 victory that lives long in the memory of the locals here in the capital city.
Sexton, now a Lions assistant coach, recalled that game on the eve of this rematch during a pitchside media briefing as he called for the 2025 Lions to put their best foot forward against this season’s Super Rugby Pacific semi-finalists, in potentially the most challenging of tour matches against the best of the Australian quartet of franchises.
“It's as cold as it was,” Sexton said. “I remember it was even colder on the night of the the game. I sat up there with my jacket and hat on and scarf and every layer of clothes I had.
“It was a tough game that night. We had a lot of disruption with a lot of new players coming in. I think we brought maybe five guys in fresh into the team. There wasn’t a lack of effort but we couldn’t get a performance out there that warranted a victory.”
With head coach Andy Farrell having named his strongest team of the tour so far, there will be no such excuses for the 2025 Lions if history repeats itself and this fixture goes awry once more but Sexton believes the tourists are better prepared this time around and in better shape for their less than convincing victory last Saturday over the Waratahs in Sydney.
Asked about what the match-specific factors to consider on Wednesday, he said: “Definitely the climate. We know it’s going to be dewy with a greasy ball. We didn’t think it would be like that in Sydney.
"It had been bone dry in the few days we were there but the pitch was very wet. So they had a tactic to come and disrupt us...it’s probably prepared us really well for this week.
“In some ways they did us a favour. It’s about us realising there’ll be a greasy ball and how the Brumbies play with a good bit of line speed to try and make things as hard as they can for us.
“They’re a very good team, probably the best Australian franchise. They’ve out in a lot of good performances against us in the past and we expect another one.” The Brumbies will be missing eight of their Wallabies, including the now injured first-choice fly-half Noah Lolesio, injured in last weekend’s hard-fought Test victory over Fiji.
Joe Schmidt has released one international back to Stephen Larkham’s squad, the back-rower Tom Hooper, offering up the chance of a pair of brothers facing the Lions. Tom, 24, came off the bench against Fiji but is good to go after just 12 minutes of gametime in Newcastle while his brother Lachie, 21, is on the bench and standing by for his Brumbies debut.
Head coach Larkham had been an assistant coach to Jake White when the Brumbies became the first Australian province team to beat the Lions for more than 40 years in 2013 but he is expecting a difficult evening in chilly, dewy Canberra this time around.
“We’re against a world-class team in the British & Irish Lions, who tour our country only every 12 years. They’ll be chomping at the bit to contribute positively to the team.
“The boys have been back in training for a couple of weeks and they are aware of how big an opportunity this is for them to take on the Lions. We’re under no illusions of the challenge that lies ahead, they are an incredibly strong and powerful side.”
The Lions will need to flex their muscles and live up to that billing if this fixture is to be considered a success, just 10 days out from the first Test against the Wallabies.
There is only one tour match remaining after that, against a combined Australia/New Zealand Invitational XV in Adelaide this Saturday, and after three wins of varying efficiency since arriving Down Under, the tourists need to start making every minute count if they are to roll into the Test series with momentum.
A Muirhead; B O’Donnell, O Sapsford, D Feliuai, C Toole; D Meredith, R Lonergan – captain; L Ieli, L Lonergan, R van Nek; L Shaw, C Neville; T Hooper, R Scott, T Taii Tualima.
L Bowron, C Orr, F Fotuaika, L Hooper, L Reimer, H Goddard, J Debreczini, H Creighton.
B Kinghorn; T Freeman, G Ringrose, B Aki, J Lowe; F Russell, J Gibson-Park; E Genge, D Sheehan, T Furlong; M Itoje – captain, J McCarthy; O Chessum, T Curry, J Conan.
R Kelleher, A Porter, W Stuart, J van der Flier, H Pollock, A Mitchell, M Smith, M Hansen.
Pierre Brousset (France).
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