Sexton Urged to Bury Hatches with Russell Ahead of Lions Tour
In a recent development, retired England fly-half Stuart Barnes has advised newly appointed British and Irish Lions assistant coach Johnny Sexton to make amends with Scotland’s Finn Russell ahead of this summer’s tour to Australia. The suggestion comes after Sexton’s inclusion on the coaching staff was met with controversy, given his well-documented grievances with Russell.
According to Planet Rugby, Sexton’s appointment as an assistant coach was announced 22 days after the initial coaching staff was revealed, and the move has been met with a mixed reaction. Scotland’s John Dalziel, England’s Richard Wigglesworth, and Irish trio Simon Easterby, John Fogarty, and Andrew Goodman were all included on the staff for a tour that begins in Dublin versus Argentina on June 20, followed by nine matches in Australia, including the three-Test series against the Wallabies.
As reported by Planet Rugby, the reaction to Sexton’s inclusion has been largely negative, with many questioning how the 39-year-old, who played his last match before retirement at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, still harbours huge misgivings about not being selected for the 2021 Lions tour. Warren Gatland, the head coach for the last tour to South Africa, selected Owen Farrell, Dan Biggar, and Finn Russell as his three out-halves, and then called up then-rookie Marcus Smith mid-tour as injury cover.
The rejection clearly festered, and Sexton unloaded on Russell last year when he published his post-playing autobiography, while eulogising about Owen Farrell and his influence when picked at No12. "Who do you want in there when the going gets tough? Test-match animals," he said, explaining his liking for Farrell before dismissing the merits of Russell’s 2021 Lions selection. "Finn Russell was the darling of the media during that year’s Six Nations," he wrote about 2021, dismissing Scotland’s fourth-place campaign as nothing achieved other than a final round success against a French team that "handed them the result" by "chasing a bonus point when the game was over".
According to Planet Rugby, Barnes suggested that Sexton must change his perspective on things fast for the greater good of the 2025 tour. "It is less than two years since he [Sexton] retired and his coaching experience is limited, but he has been selected for his third Lions tour," he wrote in his latest Times column. "Anyone who has read his book, Obsessed, will know the hurt behind him missing out on the 2021 tour to South Africa. His selection as a coach is consolation, but it will take time before that scar heals over."
Barnes went on to suggest what needs to happen for Sexton to take the angst out of the situation that now has him named as an assistant coach of a squad that Russell is likely to be named in when it is announced on May 8. "In 2021 Russell could have pointed to the difference in the Lions’ game plan against the Springboks when he came early off the bench to replace Dan Biggar. Sexton was displeased by his own omission from that tour and Russell appears to be the target of his irritable fury," he wrote.
As Planet Rugby reported, Barnes believes that Sexton needs to see things from a distance and gain a new perspective. "When a player retires, you can think you know everything, especially if you were a fly-half. Being in the thick of the action, sharing scraps, tactics and good times, is to be the ultimate insider. To gravitate to another role requires a different perspective. Owen Farrell is no longer what Sexton remembers from those Lion tours in 2013 and 2017. And Finn Russell is not the magical yet erratic trickster of his earlier years. In a Premiership that dazzles with attacking intention, it is the Scot’s grounded experience, his excellence and his self-belief that make him the right man to direct the Lions from No10."
The article from Planet Rugby concluded that Barnes thinks a quick call from Sexton to Russell, explaining how these disparaging quotes are all the work of the media, wouldn’t be the worst idea. As the Lions prepare for their tour to Australia, it remains to be seen whether Sexton will take Barnes’ advice and make amends with Russell. One thing is certain, however – the 2025 Lions tour is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing in recent history.
Lions boss Andy Farrell has confirmed the appointment, and it will be interesting to see how this develops in the coming months.
