Andy Farrell will be more “obsessed” than ever about winning this weekend as he bids to guide the British and Irish Lions to a famous 3-0 series whitewash against the Wallabies.
That is the view of England rugby league head coach Shaun Wane, who plans to tap into Farrell’s expertise when his side faces Australia in the Ashes later this year.
Farrell has already worked wonders by guiding his men to a series victory after wins in Brisbane and Melbourne in the opening two Tests.
Whitewash on cards
Now he will look to inflict more pain and misery on the Aussies in their own backyard by winning again in Sydney on Saturday – clinching the Lions‘ first series whitewash since 1927.
Asked if he believes Farrell can complete a hat-trick of Test wins over the Wallabies, fellow Wiganer Wane told Planet Rugby: “I bloody hope so.
“Knowing Andy how I know him, he will be more obsessed about winning this week than he was in the first and second Tests.
“He would love nothing more than to achieve a 3-0 series whitewash – and I’d love to see the Lions do it.
“For Andy to be the head coach of a British and Irish Lions side who have gone up 2-0 up to already clinch a really tough series is fantastic.
“It’s everything I would expect from Andy because he’s just a born winner no matter where he goes or what he does, as a player or coach.”
Wane, who enjoyed a brief spell working at the Scottish Rugby Union before returning to rugby league, is an admirer of the 15-a-side code.
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He has watched the Lions series with interest as he prepares for his own meeting with Australia’s rugby league side – the Kangaroos – in the home Ashes series later this year.
Asked which Lions players had particularly impressed against the Wallabies, Wane replied: “The Lions have a lot of good athletes in the outside backs.
“There is so much rugby union talent in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland but the standout player for me in Melbourne last weekend was Maro Itoje.
“It was the way he led from the front and I was watching it thinking ‘there’s so much pressure in those games at Test-match level’.
“So for Maro to do what he did and make the decisions he did was fantastic and spoke volumes about his character.
“Not everything he did was always very visible to us on TV, but his performance and no doubt everything he did behind the scenes as Lions captain makes him such an impressive leader.”
Wane is a proud Englishman and admits he would love to emulate what the Lions have achieved by beating Australia in a Test series.
It will be first rugby league Ashes series since 2003 and Wane will get Farrell into camp to address his players before they face the Kangaroos.
Ashes on the horizon
He added: “Our series against Australia is going to be full on, so I’ve been watching the Lions series against the Wallabies very closely and all the warm-up games.
“I’ve been really impressed with the Lions and the fact they have beaten the Wallabies absolutely gives our Ashes series against the Kangaroos added spice.
“Australia are a nation of sporting winners – whether that be in cricket, rugby union or rugby league – so at the Kangaroos will come here not wanting to lose.
“We need to be as prepared as the Lions have been.”