Gordon Tallis on the charge at Suncorp Stadium.Credit: ALLSPORT AUSTRALI
“We were talking about underdogs and I said ‘mate look at origin, I never once ran out on the field and felt like an underdog’. Never. I was just talking about being an Aussie and that we never feel we can’t win. No Aussie will ever feel like that.
“We are diggers. There is a coat of arms on our chest with an emu and a kangaroo, and the reason they’re on our chest is they never take a backward step. That’s where the Wallabies are going to be at. This is the biggest thing in Australian rugby for a long, long time.
“They have the whole nation behind them, in this moment.”
The message was heard by Farrell, who said he had been very wary of how the Wallabies would build a desperate mindset in a series played once every 12 years.
“It’s something that we’ve talked about from day one. If you’re in a position where it comes down to this every 12 years, and you get to pull the shirt on for the Wallabies and the privilege that goes with that, representing your country, they’ll be fighting tooth and nail, won’t they?” he said.
The Wallabies pose for a team photo at Suncorp Stadium.Credit: Getty Images
The Wallabies regard Suncorp Stadium as their unofficial home ground, and have scored most of their major wins there in the past 16 years, including three wins against New Zealand and six against the Springboks.
Lions rookie Henry Pollock earlier revealed the tourists were aiming to whitewash the Wallabies in the Test series.
Harry Wilson addresses a large media contingent at Suncorp.Credit: Getty Images
But speaking after the Wallabies’ final session at Suncorp Stadium on Friday – where the side unveiled jerseys with names on the back for the first time – captain Harry Wilson said the team was not listening to outside opinions.
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“There’s so much chatter about rugby at the moment, and everyone’s got an opinion. There’s thousands of people over here who will have their prediction, so that’s just another one for us, and the only thing we can control is what we’ve done during the week and what we’re going to go out and do tomorrow night,” Wilson said.
“We are very confident, we have had a very good week of preparation and done everything we wanted to do, so we feel like we are in a really good place.”
Though he’s maroon-blooded Queensland fan, Wilson said the Wallabies hadn’t drawn particular inspiration from their ability to pull off consistent upsets.
“For us, as I said before, it’s been about getting our preparation right and we have done everything right to prepare to get a result,” he said.
“As a young footballer, these are the situations you want to be in. Versus the British Irish Lions, at your home track, it’s amazing, and I just can’t wait to enjoy the moment.
All matches of The British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia are live & on demand on Stan Sport, with Wallabies Tests in 4K. All Test matches live and free on Channel 9 & 9Now.
