For British and Irish Lions boss Andy Farrell, building connections has always been as crucial to fostering a winning environment as tactics and systems.
When he speaks to the media, he regularly outlines his desire to see players become the “best versions of themselves”. Not the best tacklers, or goal-kickers or scrummagers, but the best “versions”.
Ask the players about Farrell and they will gush. Johnny Sexton knows him better than most. He was Ireland captain under him and is now part of his British and Irish Lions backroom team.
“It’s been amazing to see already,” Sexton said of watching Farrell in Lions camp.
“We’re only in week one and the standard of training, the atmosphere, the environment that he’s created already in terms of getting people to share ideas, whether you’re a coach or player, making it really inclusive, everyone has a voice and a say.
“The last thing Andy wants is fast forward four or five weeks’ time when you’ve won or lost the series, he doesn’t want people saying ‘we should have done this, we should have done that’.
“He wants you to speak now. That’s the greatest part about the environment, it’s a pretty special place to be at the moment and I’m sure it’ll get better over the next couple of months.”
Farrell’s ability to give clarity and confidence to those who come into his orbit extended to the British and Irish Lions decision-makers, who unanimously backed him as the man to lead this summer’s tour to Australia.
When he was announced as head coach in January 2024, it surprised no-one.
Now, nearly 18 months on, the 50-year-old is finally ready to tackle one of rugby’s most daunting coaching challenges when he leads the Lions into Friday’s pre-tour game against Argentina in Dublin.
It is the start of an important new chapter for the Englishman. But everything up to this point shows he never shirks a challenge, and he usually finds success.
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