I never think you should shy away from shooting for the stars because you might end up on the moon,” Andy Farrell, the British and Irish Lions head coach, had said earlier in the week. “That’s pretty good as well.

Andy Farrell has left the door open to leading the next British and Irish Lions tour after presiding over a 2-1 series victory against Australia.The Lions’ dream of finishing their tour Down Under with a 100 per cent record ended with a 22-12 defeat in the final Test at a rain lashed Accor Stadium,

Brian O’Driscoll, the former Ireland and Lions captain, argued in a newspaper column this week for Farrell senior to get the 2029 gig. To us outsiders, Andy’s pleasant calmness amid the occasional madness has certainly been a hallmark of this tour.