FARRELL BITES BACK

FROM BACK PAGE as rank outsiders. But Farrell is not interested in what anyone outside of the camp thinks and has the players fired up.

The Lions defence coach said: “The underdog has always had his day, hasn’t he? I certainly wouldn’t back against us.

“We’re playing the best team in the world in their own backyard, they’re 1-0 up and we need to win. It doesn’t get any bigger than that does it?

“I wouldn’t say I’m relaxed but there’s an air of confidence in the way we’ve prepared.”

The Lions were beaten 30-15 at Eden Park after being outmuscled at the breakdown. Their pride is dented. They want to set the record straight.

“It’s about manning up and putting everything on the line,” added Farrell, father of star player Owen. “It’s do-or-die for us and these guys are a little bit hurt about the manner in which the game went last week.

“But you don’t just win the game by being raging mad. You have to be smart about how you go about these things.

“We have to make sure we get the balance right and don’t overplay the emotional card.”