Owen Farrell in line for Lions return after first full training session
The 33-year-old is in line to make the first appearance of his fourth Lions tour against an AUNZ Invitational XV in Adelaide on Saturday.
Owen Farrell warms up ahead of a Gallagher Premiership semi-final match in 2024 (Joe Giddens/PA)
Head coach Andy Farrell confirmed on Monday that his son is in contention to play in the final fixture before the first Test against Australia on July 19, having completed all his return to play protocols for concussion.
His last game was for Racing 92 against Lyon when he suffered a head injury, a further setback in a season that has been interrupted by groin surgery. He played only 17 games in the 2024-25 campaign.
'I wouldn't say he's over the jet lag just yet. I think he was up all night, but haven't we all been through that? But the rest is fine,' Andy Farrell said.
Farrell's call-up is controversial given his last Test for England was almost two years ago and his only season at Racing 92 was underwhelming to the point he has agreed an immediate return to Saracens.
However, the management regards his experience and leadership as valuable assets, not least because he is the only player in the squad who was present for the last triumphant Lions tour, also to Australia in 2013.
Johnny Sexton, the former Ireland fly-half who is the Lions' kicking coach Down Under, insists Farrell has fitted in seamlessly with the tourists.
'As you'd expect with someone with that experience, he's fitted in. He's hit the ground running, so it's great to see,' Sexton said after Tuesday's training session.
'He must have had the playbook on the plane on the way over because he came in and he's not missed a beat.
'He's been on top of things in training and that's exactly why you pick someone with experience who knows about a Lions tour because it might take someone else 10 days to fit in.'
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Daily Mail
38 minutes 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.
Glasgow Times
3 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Matt Fagerson backs brother Zander to bounce back from Lions tour heartbreak
The 29-year-old prop was named in Andy Farrell's squad in May while recovering from a calf injury sustained in April. However, he had to withdraw in June from what would have been the second Lions tour of his career after suffering a recurrence of the problem. Younger brother Matt, who is currently in Fiji with Scotland, said of his sibling's disappointment: 'I think he took it pretty hard. He had his injury before the squad was announced and he was over the moon (when named in the squad). Zander Fagerson was named in the Lions squad in May (John Walton/PA) 'He had been really diligent in his rehab and he was coming back to a really good place. And then re-injuring it, obviously that was definitely a big blow for him. But he's old enough now to sort of realise that there's some things he can't do. 'He did everything right, and these things happen, so I think he's come to accept that. He's just working away at home to try and get himself back fit and spend some quality time with the kids and his wife.' The younger Fagerson would also have been deemed a potential contender for Lions involvement after excelling in the back row for Glasgow and Scotland, but he, too, suffered an untimely ankle injury in April that required surgery. The consolation for the 26-year-old is that he has been able to 'shave a few weeks off' his rehab and get himself fit enough to join up with Gregor Townsend's Scotland squad for their summer tour of the South Pacific. 'It (the Lions) was probably in the back of my mind, not really knowing if I was in the mix and obviously being out with an injury,' Fagerson said when asked how he viewed getting injured just a month out from Lions selection. Matt Fagerson was injured against Leinster in April (Damien Eagers/PA) 'But when Gregor said that he was really keen for me to come on summer tour, that gave me a lot of purpose in what I was doing in my rehab. 'And that definitely drove me on, gave me something to hold on to. So I haven't really thought about it (the Lions) since, I've just focused on this tour now.' Fagerson has been working his back to full fitness and, after sitting out last Saturday's non-cap international victory over Maori All Blacks, the back-rower now feels ready to return to contention for Saturday's Test against Fiji in Suva and end three months on the sidelines. 'It might have been a little bit of a stretch to play last weekend, but I feel good,' he said. 'I'm in great shape, physically. It's probably just been about getting the confidence in my ankle back. 'I feel like I've done that over the last week or so, and I've still got this week's training to do it, so if selected, I'll be ready to play.'
Glasgow Times
3 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Lions captain Maro Itoje backs Owen Farrell for England return
Farrell has been called up to his fourth expedition with the Lions as a replacement for the injured Elliot Daily and there is a possibility he will be involved in the series against the Wallabies as fly-half and inside centre cover. 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.'
