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Ex captain Paul O’Connell says it will be vital for him British and Irish lions choose a leader capable of defeating Springboks in his own game next year.
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The former Ireland lock, who captained the Lions when they lost the 2009 2-1 series to the Springboks, says it will be a unique experience in South Africa and therefore they need a particular type of personality as a leader.
“When you go to South Africa, you probably need someone confrontational because that is their DNA. You must have a tactic to beat South Africa and trick them,” O’Connell said, as quoted by the Lions official website.
“But you certainly also have to face them confrontationally. If they start dominating you in collisions, their belief starts to grow, as we saw in the World Cup final. You need to face them and you need a captain who will push that philosophy as well.” .
O’Connell, who also toured with the Lions to New Zealand in 2005 and Australia in 2013, mentioned England’s blocking names. Maro Itoje and flyhalf Owen Farrell as candidates
“He (Itoje) is the type of player you want to play against South Africa. He is a world-class athlete and a phenomenal second-row striker. I like to see him play, he’s always pushing the limits. I’m surprised he does. Give away no more penalties. that he.
“He’s always putting pressure on the rucks, around the offside line, and he’s brilliant at collapsing maul, brilliant at stopping mauling teams. It’s a real pleasure to see him in that regard. But I don’t know what he’s like in the locker room, what it is like in terms of leadership and leadership of a group of men. “
Regarding Farrell, who was the captain of England when they lost last year’s Rugby World Cup final 32-12 to South Africa in Yokohama, O’Connell stated: “I know that many people feel you need a second rower or a front row captaining to the side when facing SA, but a player like Owen Farrell also has that abrasive attitude.
“He also has a lot of experience now in terms of taking on teams from the Southern Hemisphere and beating them. Obviously he also had that tough experience against South Africa at the World Cup, so he’s someone who comes to mind.”
O’Connell, 40, played 115 tests in an illustrious career that included 108 for Ireland and seven for the Lions.
He retired from professional rugby in 2016 before starting training: he was assistant coach for Ireland’s U-20 team (2017-18) and forward coach for the French giants Stade Francais (2018-19).
He currently works as a rugby expert and commentator for BBC Sport.
– Compiled by Herman Mostert
