The British and Irish Lions have been accused of overconfidence by Wallaby great Chris Latham, who says bold predictions from within the camp have handed Australia all the motivation they need.
The backlash was sparked by Lions back-rower Henry Pollock, who declared earlier this week that a “3-0 series whitewash is definitely on the table” and insisted the Lions are striving to become the “best Lions team ever.”
Latham, a 2001 Test series winner and veteran of 78 caps for Australia, said such pre-series bravado was music to Wallaby ears.
“Personally, that fires me up,” he says, ahead of the First Test this weekend, where Wales captain Jac Morgan is reported to be likely to miss out on the starting line-up.
It seems despite a string of impressive showings on tour, Morgan is likely to be edged out of the competitive back row selection by England's Tom Curry.
That will mean not a single Welshman in the Lions starting 15.
Latham added: “For me, and I’m sure for every Aussie, it’s like, ‘OK, righto.. We’ll shut you up’. I’m a Queenslander and it’s ingrained in us to be underdogs and be able to pull a win out from nothing.”
The Lions have stormed into the Test series with five consecutive wins since landing Down Under, including a dominant 48-0 victory over the invitational Australia-New Zealand (AUNZ) side.
Their only blemish was a surprise home defeat to Argentina in Dublin prior to departure, but momentum has firmly shifted in Andy Farrell’s favour since then.
Still, Latham believes the soaring self-belief in the Lions squad could backfire—and inspire the hosts to prove a point.
“This [talk] is perfect for us. I’ve been feeling this now for the last probably three, four weeks while the Lions have been thrashing everyone else and getting cockier and cockier," he told The Telegraph.
“Everything you read, it’s about ‘how good are we’ and ‘we’re building’ and ‘this is so great’. It’s like, ‘Yeah, you keep talking that, you keep believing that’.”
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While many have written off Australia's chances following a turbulent period—including a disappointing 2023 World Cup campaign and a narrow warm-up win over Fiji—Latham, who has flown back from coaching in the United States to attend the Brisbane opener, insists belief in the Wallabies' resilience runs deep.
“Without a doubt [Australia can win]. This is what we’re built on. This is the Aussie spirit. We’re built on being the underdog.
“We’re built on being the outcast. I probably shouldn’t say this but we were sent here on a boat and we built something from nothing. We’re tough.”
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He also recalled the last time the Lions toured Australia in 2001, when his Wallabies lost the first Test but bounced back to take the series 2-1—a scenario he believes could repeat itself.
“I’ve heard it all before. The ‘best Lions team to ever come out’, Australia’s ‘got no chance’. We went 1-0 down in ’01 and came back to win the next two.”
Looking ahead to Saturday’s showdown in Brisbane, Latham called on the Wallabies to deliver not just for the scoreboard, but for the next generation of fans.
“My heart hopes and wants Australia to do well. We need to be competitive, make sure these games go down to the wire, create heroes for the kids.”
“Anything’s possible in rugby, that’s what I love about this game. Anything can happen. So... yeah, strap yourself in.”
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