Lions captain Maro Itoje backs Owen Farrell for England return
Any appearance would be his first Test since the 2023 World Cup, after which he stepped back from international rugby to prioritise his and his family's mental wellbeing before then joining Racing 92, making him ineligible for England selection.
But by agreeing a return to Saracens for next season he is available once more – and Itoje would endorse his comeback for the national side.
'Yeah, why not? I want to see him be happy,' said Itoje, who has played under Farrell with both Saracens and England.
'If he wants to play for England, why not? That would be amazing if that's in his plans and in his dreams.
'Owen is one of the best England players that we've ever seen. A fit Owen Farrell makes any team better. If that's in his ambitions, why not?'
Farrell's presence in Australia has ignited speculation that Itoje's authority as Lions captain may now be undermined, but the 30-year-old insists his former schoolmate at St George's in Harpenden will be only a positive voice.
Itoje arrives at a team run in Canberra on Tuesday (Robbie Stephenson/PA)
'I've known him for donkey's years now. I have a very good relationship with him. And he just wants the squad to do well,' he said.
'Sport, for me particularly, is never about ego. I want people to speak, have their voices heard and contribute in a positive way.
'It's never about me, if I'm captain, having the final say or sticking my chest out or anything like that. It's not about that.
'It's about how can we as a collective get the best result? How can we as a collective win? How can the team be successful? Because when the team is successful, first of all, you can't do it by yourself.
'And two, when the team is successful, everyone wins. Everyone has a brighter light shone on them.
Itoje has spoken of the 'very good relationship' he shares with ex-schoolmate Farrell (Ben Whitley/PA)
'And everyone can dine on that glory for years to come. So that's all I care about. And I know Owen's the exact same. That's not an issue at all.'
Johnny Sexton, the former Ireland fly-half who is the Lions' kicking coach in Australia, insists Farrell is a valuable addition to the squad.
'Experience is experience. He's a world-class player. Look at what he's won,' Sexton said.
'He's not just a guy who has hung on to the coat-tails of other people, he's the one who has been driving those teams.
British and Irish Lions coach Johnny Sexton is interviewed by the media on Tuesday (Robbie Stephenson/PA)
'He's been fantastic to have in camp and I'm sure he's going to add loads for the rest of the tour.'
The Lions were guilty of being too lateral in Saturday's disappointing victory over the New South Wales Waratahs, and Itoje wants them to be more direct in Wednesday's clash with the ACT Brumbies in Canberra.
'We need to punch holes, get go forward and then space opens up, wherever that may be,' said Itoje, who leads a Test-strength side.
'At times we've been very good in playing direct and playing through teams. But at times we probably look to go wide before we probably earn the right.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
6 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Ronaldo's latest move met with brutal statement by Prem winner 'He's done'
Cristiano Ronaldo has committed his future to Al-Nassr for the next two years in a deal worth a stunning £492million, but Emmanuel Petit has slammed the move and claimed it shows he has fallen away from the top level Former Arsenal and Chelsea star Emmanuel Petit has taken aim at Cristiano Ronaldo, claiming the Manchester United legend is "done at the highest level" after signing a new deal with Al-Nassr. Ronaldo's future was up in the air this summer after he teased "this chapter is over" at the end of the last Saudi Pro League season, leading to speculation he could link up with rivals Al-Hilal. But the 40-year-old quickly ended speculation over his future by putting pen to paper with the Middle East outfit over a new deal that will reportedly earn him around £492million. That makes him the top-earning athlete in the world and Ronaldo has shown he has no plans to slow down or retire in the immediate future - having helped Portugal win the Nations League last month. He has also continued to plunder an impressive amount of goals after netting 35 times in 41 games last season. However, Petit - who won the Premier League with Arsenal in 1998 - believes that Ronaldo will not return to the top level in Europe after committing his future to Al-Nassr. "Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed that he is done at the highest level with his new Saudi deal, but he confirmed that when he left Manchester United," Petit told Escapist Magazine. "Having said that, no one could have matched the crazy money he is being paid, but at 40 he is still playing well and performing for the national team. "I expect to see him at the World Cup next year but I'm not shocked he is staying in Saudi, no one could've matched those terms. They are crazy." Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr at the end of 2022 after an accrimonious departure from Manchester United, who he accused of "betraying" him by forcing him out of the club. The veteran star will go down as one of the greatest players to have played the game after netting a career total of 956 goals and he is now chasing 1,000. Ronaldo still appears to be hungrier than ever after signing another deal with Al-Nassr. When his new contract was announced, he wrote: "A new chapter begins. Same passion, same dream. Let's make history together." He said he received offers to play elsewhere this summer before ultimately committing his future to the Middle East, signing until 2027.
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Owen Farrell hits the ground running after his shock Lions call-up to replace injured Elliot Daly... as Johnny Sexton jokes: 'He must've had the playbook on the plane!'
It was the Lions' last training session before taking on Australia's top provincial team, but all the cameras were pointing at a player who won't be on duty today. Owen Farrell was out there, joining in, tuning up and striving to show he can be ready when called upon. It was the former England captain's first on-field involvement since arriving as a replacement for Elliot Daly and it was no surprise he was the centre of attention — literally, in fact, as he had a midfield role once the prying lenses left and training ramped up. Later, when the rest of the squad had finished their work, Farrell was doing his extras: sprint drills to top up his fitness levels. Despite an injury-wrecked season, he looked sharp — someone who is here to do much more than offer behind-the-scenes leadership. He looked like a player being prepared for a key role in the remainder of the tour. While a potential Lions Test side are primed for a revenge mission against the Brumbies, this is the fascinating subplot. Farrell's arrival has caused an almighty stir and plenty of criticism, but within the Lions camp they are exuding anticipation and optimism about what the 33-year-old can offer them. He is working closely with good-friend-turned-playmaker mentor Johnny Sexton, and the Irish icon spoke passionately about the belated introduction of the head coach's son. Firstly, he was asked how confident he is about Farrell Jnr's ability to get up to speed before a likely appearance against the Australia-New Zealand Invitational XV in Adelaide on Saturday. 'He's already up to speed,' said Sexton. 'It might take someone else 10 days to fit in, but he's hit the ground running. He must have had the playbook on the plane because he has come in and not missed a beat. The 33-year-old fly-half teamed up with the Lions as a replacement for the injured Elliot Daly 'He has trained really well. We can see the value that he's going to bring for the rest of the tour.' Unprompted, Sexton then delivered such a forceful endorsement of Farrell's call-up that you wondered why he had not been picked in the first place. Sexton said: 'How could you not bring him? I know he's had a bit of injury, but so have Sione (Tuipulotu) and Huw Jones. 'Experience is experience. He's a world-class player. Look at what he's won. He's been fantastic to have in camp and I'm sure he's going to add loads for the rest of the tour.' There is an assumption that adding a Test centurion into such a competitive selection equation — alongside Finn Russell, Fin Smith and Marcus Smith — must cause a degree of tension and doubt. Sexton argued otherwise. 'I know from playing 10 that if he's at 12, it's a dream,' he said. 'It makes your job easier. He's another organiser and another playmaker who can control the game. He's a leader. I could see the excitement on the 10s' faces when he was picked. 'They want to learn from the best. I can see the relationship he has with Finn. They seem to get on really well.' Lions captain Maro Itoje is similarly enthused by the arrival of someone who will be back alongside him at Saracens next season. Asked if the presence of such a senior figure in the ranks might undermine his authority, Itoje responded: 'I've known Owen since I was 11, but he didn't start talking to me until I was 12 or so! I have a very good relationship with him. 'He just wants the squad to do well. Sport is never about ego. I want people to speak, have their voices heard, and contribute in a positive way. Andy Farrell's Lions side are primed for a revenge mission against the Brumbies on Wednesday 'It's never about me having the final say or sticking my chest out. It's about how can we, as a collective, be successful? You can't do it by yourself. And when the team is successful, everyone wins. That's all I care about. And I know Owen's the same.' The Lions need to be better today, after a stuttering 21-10 win over the Waratahs which raised doubts about their strategic approach. They are likely to be far more direct, led by Bundee Aki at inside centre and in-form England prop Ellis Genge, as they strive to avenge a shock 14-12 defeat at the hands of the Brumbies on their last tour of Australia in 2013.
Leader Live
5 hours ago
- Leader Live
Alcaraz dominates Norrie to end British hopes at Wimbledon
Cameron Norrie, the last Briton standing, saw his run to the quarter-finals come to an abrupt end. No sooner had he stepped onto Centre Court than he was back slumped in the locker room. The statistics told the story of a one-sided quarter-final contest: a 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 masterclass from a player who is attempting to join Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in winning three consecutive Wimbledon titles in the Open era. Norrie had beaten Alcaraz twice before, but on these lawns — where the Spaniard is unbeaten in 19 consecutive matches — he is far more at home than the home hope. So popular is Alcaraz that cries of "Come on, Carlos" were nearly as loud as those backing the British No 3. Centre Court welcomes @cam_norrie & the defending champion 🤩 🎥 @ The Centre Court crowd quickly sensed the inevitability of the result, and the defending champion wrapped up his victory in just 99 minutes — his swiftest of the Championships thus far. Even Oliver Tarvet, the world No 733, had made him work harder for over two hours last week. Alcaraz won 89 per cent of his first-serve points and fired down 13 aces. He accumulated 94 points with 39 winners, and even when Norrie occasionally threatened his serve, the Spaniard remained unflustered. "Yes we Cam," shouted one optimistic voice in the crowd, although the sentiment owed more to summer sunshine and too many glasses of Pimm's than on-court reality. There was sympathy for Norrie who, despite his exceptional fitness, may have been feeling the effects of a five-set thriller against Nicolás Jarry just 48 hours earlier. Arthur Ashe, who won his historic title here 50 years ago, once remarked that the gap between the world No 1 and No 10 was as great as that between ten and 100. You did not need expert eyes to see that Norrie's current ranking — No 61, though this run will lift it — was cruelly exposed. "I was the underdog and he just took care of things really well," said Norrie. "It was a good experience to play the best player in the world, on his favourite surface. I didn't take my chances and that showed in the score. "When he's enjoying his tennis like this and he's serving that well, he's the favourite to win again for sure and the level he is playing is unreal. He's got so many options - he's got power and then he plays a drop shot. His physicality and movement makes it very tough for you. "It was one of the biggest matches of my career but for him that was probably just another match. He just played much better than me in the big moments and it all seemed to happen very quickly. I fought to the last point and I'm proud of my championships and I can take lots of confidence from it." Cam Norrie's great @Wimbledon run comes to an end as defending champion Carlos Alcaraz wins their quarter-final on Centre Court #BackTheBrits 🇬🇧 | #Wimbledon Alcaraz paid tribute to Norrie's work ethic and expressed confidence in his ability to return to the upper echelons of the sport after his best Grand Slam showing since reaching the semi-finals here in 2022. His own focus now turns to Taylor Fritz, his semi-final opponent, whom he has beaten twice without dropping a set. "This was my best match of the tournament," he said. "I'm feeling great and while every match is different, my confidence is really high. "The more matches I've played, the more I've started to get a good rhythm with my serve. I'm feeling really calm and my thinking is very clear. "I struggled a bit in the first rounds of the championship but it's started to click now and feel really good. "Taylor is having a really successful season and he's playing some great tennis on grass, his aggressive game really suits this surface. "I need to find an even higher level than I did against Cameron, it doesn't get any easier. The key will be not to let him dominate the game. "This is my 23rd match in my winning streak but I don't want to stop, the players have a target on me and I know that." Fritz produced two outstanding sets to take control of his quarter-final against Karen Khachanov before inexplicably losing the third. He regained his composure, however, to complete a 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 win. It is further evidence of the American's steely mindset, cultivated in recent years as he has become a consistent presence in the second week of majors. This will be only his second Grand Slam semi-final, after his run to last year's US Open final, where he was well beaten by Jannik Sinner. That experience, though, instilled fresh belief in his ability to navigate the latter stages of major tournaments. His current Wimbledon campaign has underscored that resilience. Fritz came through two five-set matches in the opening rounds — including a first-round tie against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard that spanned two days — and has improved as the grass at the baseline has thinned. His game has long been suited to grass, and after recent ATP Tour titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne, he is as confident as ever as he attempts to dethrone the reigning champion. "[The US Open final] has given me a lot of confidence in those moments and situation — just having been there — that I can do it again," he said. "I feel like in other years, when I reached the quarter-finals here, it felt like a really big deal. This time I went into the match much more calm and relaxed. "I've just been really proud of how I've been mentally all week. I was about as close to being out of the tournament in the first round as you can be. "I think grass can be an equaliser. I trust how I'm playing. I truly believe that, playing the way I did in the first two sets today, there is not much any opponent can do." For the latest action on the British summer grass court season, check out the LTA website.
