There were several British and Irish Lions players who would have been hoping to have a red-hot crack against the First Nations-Pasifika XV on Tuesday and force their way into consideration for the second Test.
But, thanks to a heroic effort from FNP as well as a clunky performance from the Lions, some players will leave Marvel Stadium disappointed and potentially thinking they have missed their chance.
It is hard to see many, if any, changes coming in terms of the starting XV given the way they dominated the early stages of the game against Australia.
It would be unfair on those players and could disrupt the dressing room if someone is left out based on what we saw on Tuesday.
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However, Farrell could be tempted — and potentially forced — to switch up the bench.
The Wallabies actually won the second half 14-10 in Brisbane, which Farrell will be fully aware of and would have pointed out to the group. The tourists won the match, but it wasn’t perhaps as convincing as it seemed at first glance.
Farrell, a highly demanding coach, will want more and has said he is wary of a fight back from Australia. He will want and need his bench to be much better.
Marcus Smith, who Farrell likes because of his versatility, was forced off with a head knock and required to undergo a HIA on Tuesday. He has not had a whole heap of minutes on tour so far and barely any at fly-half.
Owen Farrell, who made his first start of the tour against FNP, again had some nice touches and could well force his way into the matchday 23.
His versatility as well as his vast experience could prove vital in the cauldron of a potentially deciding Test against the Wallabies. He’s been there and done it before. He has shown he is in good form despite a disrupted season at Racing 92.
It wouldn’t be surprising at all to see him named and would be a remarkable story as well.
The spotlight was on the back row in Brisbane last week and before the match, questions were raised about whether the combination of Tom Curry, Tadhg Furlong and Jack Conan was the right one.
They all more than proved themselves with excellent performances at Suncorp. Tuesday was a chance for Henry Pollock and Jack Morgan in particular to give Andy Farrell a headache come selection time.
Either could slot into a place on the bench, with Morgan having another successful game on Tuesday. His impact at the breakdown in the second half of a Test, when weary bodies on both sides are at risk of making mistakes, could be a gamechanger against a Wallabies outfit not flush with depth.
Farrell of course could choose to keep players on their toes and switch things up, and either Pollock or Morgan would be up to the task.
Pollock has played at No. 8 and No. 6 on this tour and Farrell has made no secret he likes the 20-year-old’s style.
Pollock brings energy and a bit of niggle, shown when he went toe-to-toe against big Fijian-born back-row Seru Uru on Tuesday and didn’t take a backwards step.
Farrell is a composed, meticulous and thoughtful coach who won’t be making wholesale changes for the second Test, but knows he needs to keep his players as well as the opposition guessing a bit with his selections.