- Unlock the best of our journalism with a Mail+ subscription, and get full access to our in-depth insight and analysis, brilliant exclusives and the finest writing
The match has not even kicked off and Anthony Seibold has already made his mind up on one of the Lions’ key selection debates.
We are sat in the North Curl Curl Surf Club on Sydney’s northern shoreline, a picture-perfect beach where the likes of Nicole Kidman and Mitchell Starc are often spotted.
Seibold was part of Eddie Jones’ England coaching team until 2022 but these days he is back home in rugby league, heading up business with the Manly Sea Eagles.
‘We do plenty of training sessions down on the beach here,’ says Seibold.
‘It’s a beautiful lifestyle. When Tom Curry was coming back from the England tour of New Zealand last year, he stopped for a week in Sydney on his way home. We caught up with him for lunch right on the water and said, “Mate, if you ever fancy playing in rugby league then let us know”.
‘I always said Tom Curry would make a great league player. His athleticism, his power, his work-rate. Some of the GPS data we used to get from TC in training or games was next level. I always thought he’d be a really good middle forward or edge back-rower in league. His work-rate is outstanding. I’d always have Tom Curry in my team.’
As the sun sets over the Tasman Sea, kick-off fast approaching, it is a short walk up the hill to Seibold’s home. He tunes into the commentary for the AUNZ fixture and is caught by surprise when Ronan O’Gara appears in the studio back in the UK, given the Irishman visited Seibold in Manly just a few days ago.
Seibold is one of rugby’s sharpest thinkers and within minutes of kick-off he has already spotted trends in the Lions’ game plan. Jac Morgan’s crunching tackle set the tone in the opening minute, with the Lions keeping their opposition scoreless for the first time since 2013.
‘It’s total line-speed,’ says Seibold, observing the Lions defensive line. ‘They’re not committing anyone to the ruck so there’s a thicker defensive line. Double tackles. It’s aggressive and it’s powerful. That comes from Andy Farrell’s background in league.
‘If you’re Joe Schmidt, you’ll be looking at finding ways around that. Little kicks over the top. They’re not playing with a watchdog, where you have the nine in the pocket, so there can be a no man’s land in defence.
‘The Lions like to leave their nine on the short-side – that’s what the Irish do – so the Aussies will look to run down that channel where the defence is a bit more passive.’
Switching from defence to attack, it takes just six minutes for Duhan van der Merwe to score the first of three tries. The Scotland winger can run riot in attack but has been prone to errors on this tour. Tommy Freeman and James Lowe are Seibold’s picks for the Test.
In Seibold’s eyes, the standout operator in Adelaide is Huw Jones. The Scottish centre cut open the AUNZ defence and the Australian reckons he will now start outside Bundee Aki, with Gary Ringrose joining Luke Cowan-Dickie on the first Test casualty list. But it is an English youngster who plays rugby league for the Dolphins in Brisbane who Seibold believes could really light up the Lions midfield.
‘Herbie Farnworth could play for the Lions tomorrow,’ he says. ‘Joesph Suaallii did it for the Wallabies and Herbie’s just as good as him, if not better. He moved to Australia from England when he was a schoolboy and now he’s probably the best centre in the game. He would have all the attributes to switch to union; power, agility, kicking. I know Eddie Jones watched him quite a lot a few years ago and he’s really kicked on since then. He’s outstanding.’
The tempo of the Lions attack impresses Seibold. Quick lineouts and tap penalties. He notices how they point their fingers upwards when they catch the ball, ready to catch and pass at speed. ‘It’s what the All Blacks were always so good at,’ he says, as the tries continue through Ben White, Sione Tuipulotu and Scott Cummings. ‘Lions teams of the past have been very set-piece orientated and the Wallabies have been really athletic. That balance has changed now.
‘I’m sure Andy will be keeping plenty up his sleeve for the Tests. But what you don’t hide is the DNA of your defence. You need rep your defence to make it rock solid. What you do hold back it some variations with your edge attack and a few bits at the lineout. They’ve been pretty simple on the edges so I’m sure they’ll introduce a few secondary shapes.’
Owen Farrell added an extra layer to the Lions attack following his introduction in the 50th minute. Farrell and Seibold worked together closely in England and he was disappointed by the ongoing the boos. ‘I loved working with Owen, he’s full of effort and competitive spirit. He’s very demanding of others but the best teams all have performance tension.’
But Seibold believes the first Test will come too soon for Farrell, anticipating minimal changes to Wednesday’s side that beat the Brumbies. ‘It’ll be interesting to see what split they go for on the bench. If you’re chasing points, you want Marcus Smith and Henry Pollock. I love the way Marcus plays with his eyes up, looking at numbers, looking for mismatches. He’s the other player who would be really suited to league.’
After Ronan Kelleher’s try, Pollock rounds off the rout with a score of his own, delivering his trademark pulse celebration. He has upset some of the sport’s traditionalists but Seibold welcomes the youngster’s ways, knowing union is under threat in Australia’s crowded sporting market.
‘We’re used to celebrations like that in league. At the moment it’s Try July where a gambling company gives five grand to charity for every celebration. Our captain, Daly Cherry-Evans, is 36. He scored a try in the corner, pulled out the corner post and used it as a walking stick. It gets people talking.
‘The Lions tour is an opportunity to get people here talking about the sport because a lot of Wallabies could walk down the street and not get recognised. The broadcasters do a good job but union’s not free to air. League is on TV Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. League pulls in a younger, mixed crowd and is a real social event.
‘The good thing is that Suaalii has given union a real boost, and there’s more depth in the Wallabies squad than there was a couple of years ago. The Lions will be favourites, rightly so, but I think it will be closer than people think.’
