Columnist Paul Williams gives us his rugby wishlist for 2025 including a competitive Lions tour and Wales getting their finances in order, obviously…
A competitive Lions tour
2025 is the year of the Lions. And as with Chinese’ new year’s traditions, the year of the Lion is hugely important to both the spiritual and financial health of rugby in Britain and Ireland.
Firstly, it is important in that it represents one of the few occasions in the sporting calendar where four enemies become friends for three months. On paper the concept shouldn’t work and at its worst could case major diplomatic incidents – but somehow it works perfectly.
Imagine Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal joining up for a two-month summer tour and not expecting problems with the players and supporters. More importantly, the year of the Lions provides the four nations with much needed cash.
READ MORE: All you need to know about the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour of Australia
It is projected that the 2025 tour will create a profit of nearly £10 million, which is a massive amount of money for a game that currently has its nose permanently down the back of the sofa looking for spare change. But none of this will matter if the series isn’t competitive. And for the past two seasons, it looked as though it wouldn’t be.
For the first time in living memory the series seemed as forgone a conclusion as Elon Musk doing something stupid. But thankfully, Joe Schmidt seems to have turned things around slightly. The Wallabies have a solid set piece, and a set of legit ball carriers – Rob Valetini is arguably the best pure carrier in the world, alongside Ardie Savea.
Plus, Joe Schmidt has created a backline which is more than happy to pass and ‘step’ in the middle of a blitz defence – something that no other team in world rugby seems capable of doing. If the Wallabies can win a test against the Lions, it’ll be fantastic.
Move Freddie Steward to 12
Could Freddie Steward shift into the midfield? (Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images)
This column is a massive fan of Freddie Steward.
He dominates airspace in the midlands to the point where him being sucked into an aeroplane’s engine is a legit safety concern. Over the past 18 months many have questioned his pace, and his ability to counterattack from deep. But things are changing for Freddie Steward. With defensive players no-longer allowed to corral around their ‘catcher’, the role of fullback is changing once again.
Fullbacks no longer get to catch balls in relatively peaceful envrions. There is no longer a squad of Marvel’ monsters widening their shoulders and stepping into the path of the would-be chasers. Fullbacks now have to be able to jump, catch, land and then take full contact.
The role has reverted to the one perfected by players like Leigh Halfpenny and Rob Kearney. However, if this rule change isn’t enough to revive the test career of Steward, then a positional swap could be considered. Steward would make a fantastic twelve at test level.
If it looks like a 12, smells like a twelve and tackles like a twelve, then play it at 12. The Kiwis did the same thing with Jordie Barrett, and it worked perfectly. Over the Christmas period, Steward nailed more ball carriers than the writer of this column nailed bottles of Baileys.
Move him to 12, he’s too good to be left to fade at 15.
Introducing the ‘reverse jackal’
The modern ‘jackal’ in rugby has become less about skill and more about who’s willing to stand in front of a small family hatchback and get run over.
What was once a quick skill, that required speed and agility to get over the ball, has now become more about who can hold onto the ball whilst 20 stone monsters target your lower neck and limbs. It’s one of the most dangerous aspects of rugby and an element of the game which should receive as much, if not more, negative press than high tackles.
One solution that this column would like to proffer is the introduction of the ‘reverse jackal’. Where the player instead of jackalling with their chest facing the cleanout, would instead present their rump.
Where the ‘jackal’ once stepped over the ball, they would now step over and then swing their other leg around it. It means that any clean out would be on the arse (biggest muscle in the body) and all joints would be moving in the right direction should contact be made – i.e not like a crocodile roll.
Reply to @thepaulwilliams on X if you agree or disagree.
Sione Tuipulotu at 12 for the Lions
Scotland centre Sione Tuipulotu is tipped to start for the Lions. (Getty Images)
Before masses of Irish supporters take to social media and launch an attack every bit as effective as Ireland’s maul, Bundee Aki is a magnificent 12. And this column is a huge supporter of his. Aki hits the line like few others, and he requires a double tackle, minimum. He is central to Ireland’s game plan and in a modern test environment where the ten and 12 channel is the most claustrophobic on the pitch, his gainline dominance is key.
But………Sione Tuipulotu does that and more. Tuipulotu is currently the best 12 in the world and a legit triple threat 12, of which there are few. Plenty of 12s can run, plenty can pass, plenty can kick, virtually none do all three. He does. Andy Farrell will have to take a deep breath and ruffle some green feathers in selecting Tuipulotu – but select him he must.
Welsh rugby’s finances sorted
2025 won’t see Welsh rugby’s finances sorted, but hopefully it’ll go some way towards it. The WRU have a plan to put the Welsh regions onto competitive budgets within the next two seasons – between £6 and 6.5 million per region for the 2025/26 season.
But like most of the Christmas’ TV schedule, many have seen this all before. If this next solution doesn’t work, Welsh rugby needs to axe a region or possibly two. How can Wales have the same number of fully professional teams as South Africa? It doesn’t make any sense.
Someone please fix it.
Try and enjoy watching rugby.
The Women’s World Cup rounds off a bumper year for rugby (Photo by Bob Bradford – CameraSport via Getty Images)
2025 marks another new year of rugby. For supporters who are of a similar age to the writer of this column (48), it’s another season to look forward to too. This is a rather somber point to start the new year, but it’s important none-the-less. If you’re nearly 50, you may only see another five Lions’ tours – if you’re lucky.
Rugby is a fantastic sport and the level it’s played at currently is better than it ever has been – despite what blokes who watched a bit of rugby in the 1970’s tell you. Rugby is a beautiful game, and 2025 will be a season to remember. Try and enjoy it.
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