British and Irish Lions: Tom Curry under pressure to take ‘big shot’ at sealing Test place, says Sam Warburton | Rugby Union News

Former British and Irish lions captain Sam Warburton said Flanker Tom Curry was under pressure to play, having received a “big shot” to get a fiercely disputed starting place in the rear row for the first test against Australia next weekend.

England Curry was appointed on Monday in the departure XV for the penultimate Lions match, against the Brumbies act in Canberra on Wednesday, Wednesday, Live on Sky Sports.

The match team named by Farrell is largely considered to be the closest thing to a range of first choices he chose during the first five games on the tour.

Warburton, who directed the Lions during his last tour in Australia in 2013, distinguished Curry as a player who has to perform well on Wednesday to nail his place to face the Wallabies on July 19.

Warburton said Sky Sports News: “Whoever, I think, had a big blow, a big Wednesday without exerting too much pressure is Tom Curry.

“He played in the test series four years ago for Lions as a starter, and he is one of the world class players.”

The former captain of Wales Warburton Wales thinks that his compatriot Jac Morgan is the other player who pushes the most hard for jersey n ° 7, but he missed a place on the bench with Farrell selecting Josh van der Flier and Henry Pollock as rear replacements.

“Curry probably did not have as much playing time at the back of this season as some of the other seven,” he added.

“Jac Morgan has exceptionally played in number seven, which is always a very contested position.

“Curry, if he has a big match, and he has a world class in him, he has a huge opportunity.”

Warburton described a similar situation in the face of the Helic Tighthesad Tadhg Furlong, which was selected on Will Stuart for the Brumbie match.

He said: “I think many people think Will Stuart is the number one at the minute. But Furlong is his third lions tour. He is very well known as one of the world class players, but had his injury problems.

“He has the opportunity to start a second game on tour. So it’s a huge for him because I think Lions want him to reach his best class levels because he is one of the best heads in the world when he is in good shape. So he has a huge opportunity.”

Warburton praises Farrell’s “really intelligent”

Warburton also praised Farrell’s “truly intelligent” decision to release his strongest side to date for Wednesday’s match against the Brumbies, rather than the final heating on Saturday against Aunz.

The Lions head coaches have traditionally started to deploy their strongest teams during the last couple on Saturdays before the first test of a tour, but Farrell seems to have chosen the last Wednesday match to allow its probable starters more time to rest before the opening.

“During traditional visits, the Saturday team is normally closely linked to the test team,” said Warburton. “But this Wednesday, we have the impression that it is the test team, and then they will potentially have a period of recovery of the preparation of 10 to 11 days to help them prepare rather than play this Saturday, then to have a reversal of seven days.

“It is slightly different from what happened during the traditionally tours.

“When I played international rugby, sometimes the most difficult campaigns are not the six nations, because you play five games over seven weeks. It is actually the fall internationals in November, when you play four best teams four Saturdays in a row. Having this intensity for four consecutive weeks is very difficult in fact, emotionally and physically.

“I think it is really very intelligent of Andy, if it is part of the master plan. Because if you ended up playing the test team two Saturdays before the test series, then the five consecutive Saturdays are so emotionally and physically drained.

“So I think it is intelligent to play the majority of the team now, if we were the second guess, that’s the team, which seems very strongly.

“And then they will have a good race on this first test. They can have a little break between this game and potentially the number one test, assuming that these players are chosen on Wednesday, everything is fine.”

Highlights: Lions tour so far

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