'Good' won't cut it for Sexton, Lions must be 'great' to beat Wallabies 

Andy Farrell bumped into an old Broncos sparring partner, Gorden “Raging Bull” Tallis on Thursday as he took a stroll through Brisbane, and their 20-minute conversation underlined there was no such thing as an Aussie underdog.

Assistant coach Jonathan Sexton with Tadhg Beirne. Pic: Dan Sheridan/Inpho

It is 31 years ago since Andy Farrell the player, raided Brisbane with his mighty Wigan Warriors and left Suncorp Stadium for Lancashire with a World Club Challenge Final victory over the Queensland city’s premier Rugby League club, the Broncos.

What the 13-man code’s archetypal “Man of Steel” award winner would give to stage a similar success in 2025, as head coach of the British & Irish Lions against an Australia side being written off by many as rank outsiders on home soil, despite the presence of Farrell’s old boss Joe Schmidt at the helm and a wrecking ball centre partnership of Len Ikitau and Joseph Suaalii.