Tom Curry delivers on the biggest stage to justify Andy Farrell’s faith

The sight of Tom Curry hurling himself into rucks, hunting for turnovers and cutting ball-carriers in half with his tackling in yesterday’s 27-19 first Test win over Australia is quite incredible when you remember that, at the start of last year, the British & Irish Lions flanker wondered if his career might be over.

Hard as they come, Curry admitted to curling up in a ball and crying after he was left unable to run due to a hip injury, the damage so severe that he likened it to “a car crash”. His surgeon told him that it could be “just beyond what was possible” and a hip replacement might be needed.

Instead after surgery Curry amazed his doctors by returning months ahead of schedule. The graft he puts himself through every game is astonishing. He is playing through the pain of a wrist issue on this tour, another date with the operating table pencilled in for this summer. “Superhuman” was how his Sale Sharks coach, Alex Sanderson, recently described Curry. You can see why.

Lions coach Andy Farrell seems to agree. Curry had not hit top gear on this tour but Farrell believed in what he could offer in a tight Test. And so it proved. His selection, along with blindside flanker Tadhg Beirne, ahead of Jac Morgan and Josh van der Flier was controversial but when he came off after 57 minutes he had made an impact all around the pitch. “Tom Curry and Tadhg Beirne were absolutely immense. Curry put in some shots defensively and Tadhg got the turnover very early. It didn’t stop there,” Farrell said. “[No 8] Jack Conan’s carrying was very much on the front foot. Those three guys I’m sure they’ll be delighted with how they responded to being selected. Curry and Beirne are a man of their word and that’s what they delivered.”

With Australia unquestionably weakened without their trio of power forwards – Will Skelton, Taniela Tupou and Rob Valetini – Curry’s task at the breakdown to create quick ball for Jamison Gibson-Park was made a little easier. For one ruck out wide after a threatening carry by Dan Sheehan, Curry was there to clear the danger and the ball was recycled in under two seconds.

Of course, Curry delivered the first big tackle of the series after only 12 seconds, coming in as the second man, after Sheehan’s initial contact, to clatter James Slipper. Slowed down, Australia were turned over on the next phase through a subtle Beirne poach, creating the opening three points from Finn Russell’s boot.

When Farrell picked this back row, merging Beirne and Curry with Conan’s ferocious ball-carrying, he would have been hoping for moments like that.

There was still the breakdown threat of Australia’s Fraser McReight to contend with, a poaching machine who finished Super Rugby this year leading all Australian flankers by winning 19 turnovers. Tadhg Furlong was left isolated after one carry and McReight pounced before the Lions captain Maro Itoje could stop him. Curry would later fly out of the defensive line to clatter McReight, who did well to get the pass away under pressure, a few phases before Beirne pounced for another turnover. During the first half in particular the Lions’ back row was on fire.

Who else would you back to finish off a series of pick-and-gos from the short range than a flanker willing to play through the pain. It was Curry, after Sheehan and Ellis Genge banged on the door, who finally broke through for the Lions’ second try.

Relentlessness. Curry has that quality in spades. Nick Champion de Crespigny, making his debut in Australia’s back row, must have thought he had Curry under wraps with one tackle, only for Curry to use that strength to free his arms and release an offload.

Not that he was perfect. A mid-air challenge on Tom Lynagh shortly before the interval was mistimed, rattling a few of the young fly-half’s ribs, and was deemed only a penalty by the referee Ben O’Keeffe when other officials might have been stricter.

Curry’s response after half-time was superb. He intercepted a Wallaby lineout at the tail before offloading to Russell to spark the attack which led to the Lions’ third try from Sheehan.It was Curry, naturally, who supplied the final pass. The England flanker and Ireland hooker make a dynamic double act in those wider channels and Australia will be wary of that moving forward.

Even the most disgruntled Welsh supporters – understandably frustrated to see their only representative, the unlucky Morgan, miss out on the Test squad – must have watched Curry and realised they could not argue with his selection. He emptied the tank during his 57 minutes on the field, as you knew he would.