On the whiteboard in the team room of the hotel in Sydney, Andy Farrell had written down a number of key messages under the heading 'Lion mentality'. It was July 2013 and in a few days the British and Irish Lions would face their decisive third Test against Australia in Sydney.
Farrell was still in his infancy as a rugby union coach. Just a year earlier he had been plucked by England head coach Stuart Lancaster to take over as defense coach after cutting his teeth at Saracens for two years.
There were others on Warren Gatland's coaching staff in the room who had more Lions experience. Rob Howley and Graham Rowntree had both toured South Africa four years earlier.
Farrell may have had the experience of a glittering rugby league career to draw on, having captained Great Britain at the age of 21, but in rugby terms he knew he was entering uncharted waters. But with the series on the line, Farrell was undeterred.
The whiteboard contained several points including: 'No dead legs - First 5 yards', 'Nothing passive - Hammer', 'No waste' and finally '16 years - you will find the Lions mentality.'
However, it was what he said next that cemented his place in Lions folklore, delivering a speech that would soon acquire a cult status, rivaling the grand orations of previous Lions coaches such as Jim Telfer and Sir Ian McGeechan.
First, Farrell spoke about the performance in the second Test in Melbourne, a final defeat that took the series to the decider.
"Last weekend, good effort, good effort all the way to D [defence] is worried. There will be a lot of pressure on us, especially on our own line," he said.
"They just kept pounding away and pounding away and it was a brave effort, guys. I would say that to you if I was your club coach or your international coach, but I'm not.
"We are your Lions coaches. And good defense or good spirit is not enough at this level. On D we cannot allow our emotional energy to drop at all.
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"You know why? Because there's no tomorrow. There's no tomorrow. We're taking these guys to the pain arena this weekend.
"Because our mentality will be a different mentality to what the British Lions teams have had for the last 16 years. Right, a different mentality.
"Because the last sixteen years have been about failures. You shock yourself by taking yourself to another level. Because that's what being a Leo is all about. It's not about anything other than that. It's not about competing, it's not about being here, it's about winning."
The Lions won 41-16.
Such moments have acquired mythic status for supporters over the years, but more tellingly they provided an insight into the emotional and technical impact Farrell had on the tour, underpinning his reputation as a coach in the top echelons of international rugby union.
Despite playing most of his career in the league, there were no players in the room of that Sydney hotel who doubted Farrell understood what the Lions stand for. It was also one of the moments that would sow the seeds for his appointment as head coach on Thursday, appropriately ahead of next year's tour of Australia.
By the time of the next tour, to New Zealand in 2017, Farrell had moved on to Ireland, where he was quickly appointed by Joe Schmidt as his defense coach after being let go by incoming England head coach Eddie Jones in the aftermath of the 2015 World Cup ..
Video footage from that historic tour, which culminated in a 1-1 drawn series, showed the lighter side of his personality.
During another speech to the squad in Auckland, Farrell's presentation skills were put to the test when the 'Siri' function on a mobile phone interrupted his call.
"So far I've had six guys come to me to do something extra. Just five minutes, that's all," Farrell said, before "Siri" responded: "Sorry, I'm not sure what you said?"
Without breaking stride, Farrell replied, "I said six guys were coming towards me..." The team burst into laughter. "This is serious," he added with a beaming smile. His point was made.
Gatland, who had laid down the succession blocks by first selecting Farrell for the 2013 tour ahead of his then Wales defense coach Shaun Edwards, an agonizing and controversial decision at the time, was impressed with his ability to connect with the players.
"I got a glimpse of Faz's innovation during an early defensive meeting when Paul 'Bobby' Stridgeon, our strength and conditioning coach, interrupted the meeting when his phone went off. Faz handed him both barrels and demanded that Bobby repeat to him the defensive structure and strategy he had outlined," Gatland recalled.
"We all sat back in our chairs, ashamed of Bobby, but stunned when he repeated word for word what Faz had said. Only later did I discover that the whole thing was set up as a trick for Faz to get his message across to the players. If the fitness guy can remember our defense, so can they."
'One of the best rugby brains'
Jamie George, who was selected for the New Zealand tour despite not yet starting a game for England and making the Test team, agrees that Farrell's ability to get his message across and make each player feel special to feel, was a standard. hallmark of his Lions contribution.
"He's one of the best coaches I've ever worked with," George said. "He's one of the best rugby brains I've ever come across. The way he conveys a message is very clear, but well thought out. But I also think it was special because of his understanding of people and what people need, because he's been there and done it in a similar way.
"He understands people and that playing international rugby is quite a high-pressure environment and his ability to give people time when they need it, time with their family, is a perfect fit for a Lions coach.
"It's something that Warren Gatland has done very well and I think it's something that Andy will take up and I have no doubt he will be hugely successful."
"In 2017, it felt like he had a relationship with every player and had plans for every player, if that makes sense," George added. "I would finish a match and go over my performance with Steve Borthwick, who was on tour. But Andy also pulled me aside and gave me an alternative opinion.
"He would say, 'What did you think of X, Y and Z?' He was the defense coach, but he also talked to me about how we attack, how we work without the ball. He strives for standards and is very clear about what he wants.
"But it was very individual. I felt like Andy had a plan for me, and then I looked across the room and he was having a similar conversation with Peter O'Mahony and then with Owen. [Farrell]. That's rare, that's unique and I think that probably sums up Andy as a person and as a coach."
And once again he would leave an indelible mark on the 2017 tour when he delivered another inspiring and iconic speech ahead of the third Test against the All Blacks in Auckland.
"I started by telling you all, 'How far can we go with this?' Well, it's here," Farrell told the team. "This is it. Dream about it, guys. Basically, I'm trying to ask myself, 'Faz, what are you looking for?' Honestly, it's something that can't be beat.
"We are a fire team and if we are going to steal, we have to be extremely precise. Performance, all in all, we're not there yet. It will be too much for them, they can't handle it. We got some fucking winners in this room. I believe you will become the best team in the world tomorrow."
