9 hours ago
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Owen Farrell is on his way to join up with the British and Irish Lions, prompting an outpouring of shock and one overwhelming question. Why?
It makes no sense. It is a staggering call-up with profound implications. First, the 33-year-old is on his way to fill the void left by the injured Elliot Daly, but the England back wears 11, 13 or 15 and Farrell Jnr wears 10 or 12. The suspicion is he was always destined to be summoned, once any back beyond the scrum-halves was sent home.
This is a player who generates such diverse opinion, so let us stick to facts and simple logic. He last played international rugby at the 2023 World Cup, then stepped away from England duties due to hostility from his own fans.
The captain was booed throughout that tournament as Steve Borthwick’s side reached the semi-finals — as those following the national team did not believe in him as the right man to run the show at 10, while Marcus Smith was shunted out to full back.
His decision to withdraw from the Test firing line made sense for him and his young family. There was a sympathetic response. But nothing since has led to a clamour for him to return. It is a long time since Farrell delivered an imperious display. There has not been one since he left his beloved Saracens more than a year ago.
His move to Racing 92 in France did not work out. Injuries hampered him, so he could not fulfil his goal-kicking role. Trouble with his groin led to long absences and a hunt for a medical resolution which took him to Qatar.
Former England captain Owen Farrell has earned a call-up to the British and Irish Lions squad
But Farrell's call-up was a major shock and it does not make sense for a variety of reasons
The 33-year-old has been called up by his father to fill the void left by the injured Elliot Daly
The problem was sorted only for Farrell to injure his head, ending his season early. That was in May. He has played only a handful of times in this calendar year. He has not even completed the return-to-play protocols as he did not have a team to do contact training with. Farrell has gone back to Saracens to take on a player-coach role and he will surely thrive, but this? It is a wild development and could create tensions within the Lions set-up.
It is a gamble by Andy Farrell to pick his son; one he did not need to take. Finn Russell has been imperious and the two Smiths — Fin and Marcus — offer creative variety as back-up options. Bringing in Farrell Jnr suggests the head coach does not truly trust the younger 10s to deliver when the chips are down. Savage.
People will see this as preferential treatment. It will mean there is an elephant in every room wherever the Lions go in Australia. Those involved and those supporting from near and far want to feel it is a meritocracy and that a VIP lane does not exist. This is about pedigree and entries on the c.v.
Of course, Farrell ticks those boxes. He is a Test centurion. He has been on three previous Lions tours. He has won titles with Saracens and England. He has captained his country in a World Cup final. He is the country’s record points-scorer.
Farrell is also respected as a supreme competitor, who epitomises the ‘Test match animal’ tag. But he is not the only one of those. A penny for George Ford’s thoughts in response to this news. Over in Argentina, he is poised to win his 100th England cap. He is a supreme playmaker and has been in vintage form. But he is not coming here.
Of course, the ploy could go down as a master stroke. But so many stars will have to align for that scenario to come to pass.
While the Smiths will be understandably doubtful about their prospects for the remainder of this tour, Russell will also wonder about the implications of such a dominant character being in the squad.
Not only will Farrell form a strong working relationship with his father, he will also resume a natural alliance with Lions assistant coach Johnny Sexton, who is an influential advocate of his friend and former long-term rival.
Farrell has been on three Lions tours before but he hasn't played internationally since 2023
His inclusion could unsettle the unity that has been developed in the camp. For example, Finn Russell may wonder about the implications of such a dominant character being in the squad
Russell’s position is secure right now, but all it takes is one off day and he might start worrying about some powerful dynamics all around him.
This did not need to happen. The Lions have hit the ground running with two half-century wins here in Australia. They have various backs regaining match sharpness.
They should have powerful momentum by the time of the series opener on July 19. They can take down the Wallabies without turning to a veteran who may not still have what it takes.
There is going to be an almighty commotion about this call-up — a lot of external noise and fierce debate. It will overshadow the build-up to the fixture against the Waratahs on Saturday and perhaps every other subsequent game. Why? WHY??
