Owen Farrell in line for Lions return after first full training session
Farrell arrived Down Under on Friday as a replacement for broken arm victim Elliot Daly and was present as the Lions stepped up preparations for Wednesday's clash with the ACT Brumbies in Canberra.
Advertisement
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 19th, 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.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
'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.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
an hour 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
2 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.'
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
Little ‘Lleyton' Hewitt crashes out of Wimbledon as famous parents look on
Any British player feeling overwhelmed by pressure during Wimbledon fortnight ought to consider how it feels to be thrust on to the grass courts as the son of a champion. While the rest of the competitors in the boys' singles could plot the next stage along their career path in blissful anonymity, their entourages nurturing and readying them for a breakthrough in an imagined future, 16-year-old Cruz Hewitt enjoyed the blessing and endured the curse of enough prying eyes to have filled one of the show courts. In the shadow of the arena where Lleyton Hewitt won a career-defining Wimbledon title 23 years ago, his son's first attempt to join his father on the honours board ended in the second round, losing 6-3, 6-0 to Finnish 11th seed Oskari Paldanius. One imagines more was learned by playing for just under an hour with such expectation, and amid such attention from intrigued passers-by, than any of his previous junior events. The cramped Court 5 attracted sports fans and celebrity hunters in equal measure as the famous parents of Hewitt jnr (his actress and reality TV host mother Bec is a household name in Australia) took their seats on the quaint park benches, the 2002 champion's presence guaranteeing the kind of wisdom and insight most competitors would need Lottery funding to afford. The typically feisty Aussie contingent was eager to get behind the teenager, the noise whenever he threatened to make the first set competitive a stark contrast to the isolated hand claps for the impressive Paldanius. Alas, this was literally the boy versus the man as the physically daunting Finn left the Aussie clinging for a semblance of hope from the moment he broke serve in the second game. In truth, it was like watching two boxers in different weight divisions, the 18-month age gap decisive with Paldanius, who dashed through the second set, so athletically developed he would not have looked out of place in the men's draw. How much talent has passed through the Hewitt genes? Evidently plenty, most noticeably a whipped forehand with enough backlift to offer a wind source in the event of an energy blackout in south-west London. The famed Hewitt reverse baseball cap ensured those taking a fleeting view of the match were in no doubt as to which of the youngsters was the Australian, as did the occasional show of petulance when a few second-serve returns too many were dumped into the net. The personal disappointment became a factor in the second set when the willingness to excel did not match the ability to unruffle an opponent in cruise control. 'Stop looking so cool, Dad,' young Hewitt suggested to his father, who was never going to offer grand gestures or show signs of anything but beaming pride, no matter what the outcome. This was one of those tough miles on what the young Hewitt will hope will be an invigorating journey, but these beautiful courts will look even more alluring if a feisty, ultra-competitive Hewitt can be nurtured to continue the family business.
