First impressions matter, in life, in sport, in team selection and when stripped to its simplest form they can represent an opportunity to confirm or confound opinion. For the 23 Lions players in the matchday squad for Friday night’s game against Argentina at the Aviva Stadium (kick-off 8pm), they have been given first dibs on the iconic red jersey.
The opinion that holds sway most in the direct context of the match is that of head coach Andy Farrell, with the remainder of his coaching team, a short head behind. The backstory regarding jersey allocation is of less import or relevance than the performance DNA that they leave behind at the final whistle.
It’s not about who’s missing, more a case of who takes or misses the chance. Players have been forewarned. Lions captain Maro Itoje revealed as much when reiterating a point that Farrell had made earlier in a press conference. “This is our first opportunity to set the standard that we want to be, set the kind of team that we want to be, and give our first account of ourselves.”
Occasionally opportunity comes wrapped in a different garb, a statement that Sione Tuipulotu will appreciate. Ostensibly an inside centre he will play one position further out in the backline for the Lions against the Pumas in forming a midfield partnership with Bundee Aki.
Matt Williams: Lions can’t afford to be infected by Irish rugby’s sense of entitlement against resurgent Australia
Bundee Aki and Sione Tuipulotu centre partnership shows Andy Farrell’s not afraid to shake things up
The Lions are in a no-lose position against Argentina, provided they don’t actually lose
Australian outhalf James O’Connor not included in squad for Fiji Test
In the absence of Garry Ringrose and Huw Jones, Farrell could just as easily have opted to play Elliot Daly at 13, a position he’s previously played with England. Instead, the Lions head coach took a chance to give a chance, so to speak, and in doing so reminded the players that their head coach will not be linear in his thinking.
Tuipulotu has played outside centre before, as recently as the first half of the URC semi-final defeat to Leinster, although Glasgow Warriors head coach Franco Smith canned that experiment halfway through the match, restoring the player to his preferred role.
Leinster’s Jamie Osborne had curtailed Tuipulotu’s influence very effectively in the 13 channel. It wasn’t until two minutes from time that the Australian-born, Scotland international reminded onlookers of the threat he poses, even in the most cluttered corridors, when slaloming his way past Scott Penny, Max Deegan and Luke McGrath for a brilliant try, one that seemed improbable from where he received the ball initially.
At that point Smith had long since reshuffled his backline, with Tom Jordan moved from inside centre to outhalf, while Stafford McDowall took up station on the other side of Tuipulotu. As a body of evidence, Tuipulotu’s run at 13 would not have compelled Farrell to double down but the Lions head coach is not risk averse.
He’s happy to back his own instincts and judgment as Ireland supporters have come to learn and take a punt on what to others might consider an unlikely midfield combination. And one that if it flourishes in the Aviva Stadium might earn the right to further miles in Australia, depending on circumstances.
Aki has started seven of Ireland’s last nine Tests in the 12 jersey, and in the last three seasons has started only once, against Italy in 2023, in the 13 jersey. That proved to be an uncomfortable experience for the Connacht man in an unfamiliar role. He’s abrasive and direct in his carrying, a pulverising tackler, a good distributor and possesses an excellent rugby brain.
Before missing the Six Nations through injury, Tuipulotu was an unbackable favourite to wear the Lions 12 jersey in the Test series against Australia. Consistently excellent for Glasgow and Scotland, he imposed his talent on high-profile games, while showing leadership qualities that persuaded Scottish head coach Gregor Townsend to make him captain last November.
The injury put a kibosh on that momentum but since returning any fears have been allayed as the 28-year-old has demonstrated familiar traits. Brilliant footwork, strength in and through the tackle, offloading, vision, and the ability to find defensive seams and unpick them. He also possesses speed and aggression in the defensive line, all of which render him a nightmarish prospect for opponents.
Tuipulotu and Aki will have their respective personal wishlists going into the game against Argentina but are shrewd enough to realise that being able to play as a partnership has the potential to be more valuable than a box-ticking exercise. The Scottish captain can’t adopt the mindset that he’s just filling in, in the 13 jersey.
The likelihood is that the roles will be interchangeable and fluid. Tuipulotu has the tougher assignment of the two on paper simply because he’s the one that’s being asked to take on a different remit. Farrell is measuring the capacity of players to step up and stand irrespective of circumstance, ultimately a challenge to his players’ versatility.
It has equal purchase in discussions about secondrow, backrow and back three. For Farrell, coaches and players, second chances will be index-linked to first impressions.
