Former England star Andy Goode has named the FIVE Lions wannabes he believes have most to gain on Investec Champions Cup quarter-final weekend.
The two-time tournament winner bills the four matches as the last major audition for Andy Farrell’s British and Irish tour given the semi-final round comes so close to the May 8 squad announcement.
He says the cross-border showdowns, to be played in Ireland, England and France, offer a gilt-edged chance for players to catch the eye of the head coach and his assistants.
Ahead of crackerjack Champions Cup ties between Leinster and Glasgow, Bordeaux and Munster, Northampton and Castres and Toulon and Toulouse, Goode has revealed the quintet he wants to see seize the moment.
Leinster v Glasgow: Sam Prendergast
“As a former fly-half I have obvious interest in selection at 10,” he says. “And this quarter-final round offers Sam, Jack Crowley and Fin Smith one helluva platform to make their pitch to Andy Farrell.
“Faz is probably thinking Finn Russell is nailed on to tour, then you’ve got to have another two. How does that look across Fin, Sam, Jack and Marcus [Smith]?
“This weekend is the closest the contenders are going to get to Test match intensity between now and when the squad is picked. For my money it’s going to have a huge bearing on players’ prospects.”
A week ago Prendergast went up against No.10 rival Marcus Smith and enjoyed much the better of the contest. Leinster scored 10 unanswered tries in what was a horror show for Smith’s Harlequins.
Goode is a fan of the England man. “I enjoy watching Marcus because he can do a lot of stuff I never could as a player.” But he fears Quins’ 62-0 shellacking, in front of a watching Farrell, will hurt his chances unless Smith’s value is viewed through the prism of versatility, as a 10 and 15.
“Some of the players from Harlequins just gave up,” Goode told Jim Hamilton on their podcast, The Rugby Pod. “There was no pride in the jersey.”
Talking to Planet Rugby he preferred to shower praise on Prendergast. “I thought he played exceptionally well – picking good options, good ball distribution. His skill set was great.
“If it comes down to a 50-50 decision between Prendergast and Marcus Smith and you’re going off a bit of ticker from that game last week, of course it doesn’t do you any favours.”
Bordeaux v Munster: Jack Crowley
If tonight’s Glasgow game is big for Prendergast, Goode says Munster’s tie at Bordeaux offers Crowley a seismic opportunity to build on his Player of the Match display at La Rochelle in the Round of 16.
“Jack’s performance last weekend should certainly put him in the Lions conversation,” Goode says. “Spuds of steel. What he did against Ronan O’Gara’s team [drop goal] was O’Gara-esque.
“No question for me, it puts him in the Lions frame. And I like his half-back partner Craig Casey too as a bolter.
“Munster have kind of slipped behind Leinster as Ireland’s No.1 team. But that was a proper knotty, hard-nosed performance by them. Hopefully for Munster fans they can do it again this weekend.”
Northampton v Castres: Henry Pollock and Fin Smith
“If we’re being honest, you wouldn’t say a huge number of players emerged from the Six Nations as nailed-on starters for the Lions‘ Test series,” Goode continues. “Which makes these big European knockout games so important.
“Look at Theo Dan last week. Before Saracens’ game at Toulon, England’s – what is he, third-choice? – hooker would not have been in the conversation. Dan Sheehan is head and shoulders above the rest. Then Ronan Kelleher, he’s pretty special.
“But Dan showed in that game he has got traits of Sheehan that not many other hookers have, in terms of power and off-loading ability. All you can do is put yourself in the shop window. That’s what Theo did.”
Which brings Goode to Pollock. “I’ve got to stop talking about him,” laughs the Coventry-born 44-year-old, who will be at Franklin’s Gardens for Premier Sports.
“Against Clermont he was again outstanding. The way he’s performed going back to that Wales game, what he’s produced individually and collectively in teams since then, certainly puts him in the shopwindow.
“The only thing I’d say is back-row is probably the most congested area of selection. There is so much quality. Jack Willis as Toulouse, Josh van der Flier at Leinster, Jac Morgan had a storming Six Nations in a really poor Wales team. Rory Darge also impressed, and he’s still alive in Europe with Glasgow.
“But Pollock is an X-factor player who is producing. Look at his ball-carrying prowess, his footwork and speed, his gainline breaking ability. He has more turnovers (13) than anyone else in this competition.
“Some people see the way he looks at the camera a lot and judge him (negatively) on that. But I think we should celebrate young players like him. Build them up, allow them to flourish.
“A big performance against Castres certainly keeps him right in Andy Farrell’s eye line to potentially be part of the mix. And I’d say the same applies to Fin Smith, who came into the England team only two months ago but has done a wonderful job at 10.
“He played beautifully last week against Clermont. Another performance like that, with the prospect of a semi-final against Leinster, and he puts himself firmly in the mix.”
Toulon v Toulouse: Jack Willis
As statements go, Willis‘ man of the match performance for Toulouse against Sale, up against Lions selection rivals Tom and Ben Curry, was emphatic.
“He was ineligible for England in the Six Nations but thoroughly deserves to go on ability and talent and what he’s shown in performances,” says Goode.
“Faz left the door open to players in France and I have a feeling that when he made that statement he was thinking firmly about Willis who, in Antoine Dupont’s absence, is first on the team sheet for Toulouse.
“I know Ugo Mola quite well from my days at Brive and he can’t speak highly enough of Willis. Trust me, having been coached by Ugo at Brive, it’s very difficult to get a compliment about an Englishman out of his mouth.
“Look,” adds Goode. “This is a game of opinions and we can all put a squad of 38 together, or whatever the number is, and I guarantee very few will come up with the same squad as Andy Farrell.
“All the lads can do is rock up in the big games and put their biggest performance in – to say to Faz, ‘at this level, at this intensity, I’m the man’.”
Andy Goode is part of the Premier Sports team showing every game live in the Investec Champions Cup, including Saturday’s big quarter-final between Northampton Saints and Castres (Premier Sports 1 from 5.15pm). All eight quarter-finals across both EPCR competitions will be shown live on Premier Sports this weekend. Join the home of rugby for just £11.99 a month. Visit www.premiersports.tv
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/andy-goodes-five-lions-wannabes-looking-to-make-their-pitch-to-andy-farrell-in-champions-cup-quarter-finals
