Lions the perfect tonic after Saracens defeat, says Farrell
Owen Farrell has wasted no time at all in putting the disappointment of Saracens’ Premiership semi-final defeat behind after joining up with the British and Irish Lions squad ahead of the six-week tour that begins on Monday with a long-haul flight to New Zealand via Dubai and Melbourne.
After the high of winning the European Champions Cup final, Saracens suffered the low of a defeat by eventual Premiership champions Exeter Chiefs, ending their season one match prematurely than what many had predicted.
But after the loss on Saturday, Farrell and four Saracens teammates joined up with the Lions squad on
Sunday and it proved to be the perfect remedy for the semi-final heartache.
“It’s a completely different environment,” Farrell said. “It’s actually quite good coming in straight after a loss as you don’t have too much time to sit there and dwell on it. To get straight into training and to be excited to be here is brilliant. We’re just looking forward to getting out there.”
He added: “It was obviously a close game, away from home it was tough. To come into a new environment everybody is fresh, everybody is ready to go and if you’re as excited as everyone is here to get going then you’ll be alright.”
The Saracens representatives are not the only ones who arrived in camp over the last eight days hurting off the back of a defeat. Wasps' James Haskell and Elliot Daly arrived on Sunday after seeing their Premiership dreams dashed in the 23-20 extra-time loss to Exeter, while the Munster contingent of CJ Stander, Peter O’Mahony and Conor Murray suffered a brutal 46-22 defeat by the Scarlets in the Pro12 final.
But Farrell’s belief that to get straight back on the horse is the best course of action is one shared by his former Saracens teammate and now Lions forwards’ coach Steve Borthwick, who drew on his own experiences of losing big games as a reason why those players arriving this weekend will be mentally fine for the tour.
“Having been in the situation of finishing the season on a loss, there could be nothing better than joining the Lions tour where you’ve then got this fantastic challenge to look forward to, and I know each of those players will be feeling the same,” said Borthwick. “Rather than thinking about what’s just happened they’ve got this great challenge ahead so no concerns whatsoever.
“These players are now focused on being successful with the Lions on this tour and I think they’re all very excited about the challenge ahead.”
Part of the challenge that Borthwick and the rest of the coaching staff face is getting the touring party – made up of 41 players from four different countries – gel together and form relationships, all in the space of four weeks before the first Test against the All Blacks.
That’s why most of this week saw the squad getting to know each other, with Farrell admitting that it felt a lot like his first tour in 2013 with a similar preparations and a new roommate to get to know.
“Obviously it’s a different group of lads but I guess things kind of come flooding back when you meet up and we’ve stayed at the same places as last time and having the same kind of structure to it. It brings back good memories,” he said.
“It’s about us getting to know each other as quickly as possible, it’s about having a good understanding between us all and a good understanding about what we’re trying to do. Everybody’s just trying to get stuck into that.
“Last week it was with Robbie Henshaw. It was good, [he’s a] good lad.” Asked about what they spoke about, Farrell admitted: “Anything and everything. Just trying to get to know each other, the same as anybody else does when they meet. I’ve played against Robbie a few times but that’s about it so to try to get to know him a bit more will be brilliant.”
One other bonding method has been the formation of the Lions “choir”, as Farrell calls it. The squad will be greeted in New Zealand with an official Maori welcome, and as part of it they will sing back to their hosts in a sign of respect.
“It’s been good. I’m enjoying it, choir practice. We’re a choir,” Farrell explained. “Do I back myself? Not individually. I guess that’s one of the things that brings you together. There’s been a fair amount of it to be fair so hopefully we’ll be good.”
And what will be the Lions' response? “I don’t know if I can tell you that. I think it’s a secret. It’s a secret.”