Wallabies assistant coach Geoff Parling knows what it takes to win a series between Australia and the British and Irish Lions
He was once a British and Irish Lion, but now Geoff Parling is doing everything he can to help the Wallabies beat the tourists.
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As a former British and Irish Lions lock, Wallabies assistant coach Geoff Parling has been happy to provide “valuable” knowledge to the Australians about what to expect from the tourists ahead of Saturday night’s series-opening battle at Suncorp Stadium.
However, Parling hasn’t overloaded the Wallabies with information, saying any “big game” was the “same game”.
“The circus around it is bigger, the moments in every match are a little bit more, but that’s the case the higher any level you go,” said the Englishman, who was part of a Lions squad that beat the Wallabies 2-1 in the 2013 series between the teams.
“I shared some things … but I’m very wary it’s not about me.
“If I can give something valuable to our players, I’ll certainly do that. I’ve just got to make sure what I give is valuable.
“What I’m probably giving in terms of that is probably less than you think, and as we get closer to the Test, it’s less and less.”
From centre combinations to the back row, we take a closer look at some of the key talking points ahead of the 1st Test 📋#Lions2025
— British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) July 15, 2025
Parling said the Wallabies were expecting a “well-drilled” Lions forward pack that had become “more cohesive” as the tour went on.
The Lions were beaten 28-24 by Argentina last month in Ireland but are undefeated since arriving in Australia, chalking up wins over Western Force (54-7), Queensland Reds (52-12), NSW Waratahs (21-10), ACT Brumbies (36-24) and the AUNZ Invitational outfit (48-0).
“You find on any Lions tour, it can take a bit of time to click,” Parling said.
“Their scrum has generally been strong. Their lineout was shaky at the very start, and in general that’s improved.
“I don’t think that they’ve shown many chinks, and I’m expecting them with a full training week, with no midweek game, to be very well prepped.”
Parling said star back-rower Rob Valetini was a chance to return to the Wallabies pack after missing Australia’s last-start 21-18 win over Fiji with a calf injury.
“We’re very hopeful that he’ll be available for selection,” he said of the two-time John Eales Medal winner.
“In terms of saving people for a series, I don’t think you’d ever really do that. It’s more just if someone’s fit and ready to perform, can they improve a team? If yeah, we’ll get them out there then.”
Towering lock Will Skelton’s availability after overcoming his own calf problem could cause the Wallabies a selection headache.
“It certainly does (complicate things) … but it’s different when Will’s in there,” Parling said.
“He brings different attributes that other guys don’t have, certainly around the static excursion points like scrum, the maul, and other parts of the collision.”
Originally published as Wallabies assistant coach Geoff Parling knows what it takes to win a series between Australia and the British and Irish Lions
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