
Andy Farrell gives update on son Owen's British and Irish Lions role after sloppy win over NSW Waratahs
The former England captain, 33, replaced Elliot Daly, who broke his arm in Wednesday's 52-12 win over the Reds in Brisbane.
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Andy Farrell provided a major update on his son Owen's involvement with the Lions
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Owen Farrell was called into the squad after and injury to Elliot Daly
It took many by surprises as Owen has not played for England since the 2023 World Cup, and has just signed for old club Saracens again after a disastrous season in France with Racing 92.
And Owen was spotted on the sidelines during the British and Irish Lions win over the NSW Waratahs on Saturday.
Andy Farrell's side delivered a disjointed performance but still came away with a victory over the Sydney outfit, despite a huge amount of handling errors.
And Ireland boss Andy admitted his son won't be rushed into action after a long-haul flight from the UK earlier this week.
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The Lions head coach says jet-lag precautions will be in place before admitting it's unlikely his son will be available for selection for the Lions' mid-week clash against ACT Brumbies.
The playmaker only arrived in Australia on Friday evening and is still adjusting to the travel.
Andy said: 'He slept last night so hopefully the jet lag is not too bad,'
'Probably not [be in the squad against the Brumbies]. I don't know, with jet lag etc...you've got to go through protocols.
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"That normally takes a few more days than that I would have thought.'
Despite the lack of fluency in their win over the Waratahs, Farrell was somewhat content that the result in Sydney.
Craig Casey shares hilarious 'fear' weighing on him before captaining Ireland for first time vs Georgia
Looking ahead to the Lions clash against the Brumbies in Canberra, the coach welcomed the forecast of wet weather.
He added: 'It looks like there could be a bit of rain so that's good for us, we need to play in that as well.
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'But we also know that they're top side in the Australian division, and we also know what happened as far as the Lions is concerned in 2013, so we know it's a big day on Wednesday for us all.'
Kick-off is at 11am IST on Wednesday morning.

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Irish Examiner
26 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Scratchy Lions win has simplified the Test selection equation for Farrell
FOR some reason Dame Edna Everage sprung to mind in the wake of the British & Irish Lions less-than-marvellous weekend display against the NSW Waratahs. As Edna once waspishly told a fellow grand dame: 'I'm trying to find a word to describe your outfit … affordable.' It was not dissimilar to the lacklustre Lions in Sydney: all dressed up and nowhere to hide. It has been an awkward few days all round, with increasing amounts of potential comedic ammunition available to Aussie hecklers. 'Mr Farrell, welcome to our hotel, we've held the family suite for you.' 'Mate, was the pitch really damp on Saturday or were you blokes just wallowing in your own mediocrity?' It is reaching the point where the Lions need to start delivering a few short sharp punchlines of their own. 'Maybe we should play Fiji instead?' was briefly a possibility as the Wallabies hovered on the brink of losing their warmup Test in Newcastle. But it is a dangerous game to play when, self-evidently, there continues to be a risk of the Lions rocking up underdone to Brisbane for the first Test on Saturday week. Australia may not be the best team in the world – they went into the weekend ranked eighth – but where does that leave the Lions if the series heads south? Among other things, it makes the first Test absolutely pivotal. This is not a hard and fast law – as recently as their last tour in 2021 the Lions won the opening Test in South Africa only to go on and lose the series – but we should expect Joe Schmidt's Australia to grow stronger over the course of a three-Test series. Hence the importance of picking the smartest-possible starting XV – and a complementary bench – for that challenge. In some ways Saturday's scratchy 21-10 win over the Waratahs has simplified the equation. Let's just say it was not the worst game to miss. There are occasions when players' reputations are enhanced simply by sitting in the stands and the Waratahs game was one of them. Read More Andy Farrell felt NSW Waratahs deliberately watered pitch to hinder Lions So the moment has come for Andy Farrell to cease his ruminative beard-stroking, replace the light pencil with proper ink and get down to it, dah-ling. There is still the Brumbies game this Wednesday to assist deliberations further but the time for experimentation has all but expired. The front row, in theory, should be straightforward. The Lions may have waxed and waned to date but their scrums have gone pretty well. Dan Sheehan is first among equals at hooker and Ellis Genge and Andrew Porter, probably in that order, are both tough hombres at loose-head. But the picture at tighthead is murkier: do the Lions go with the proven farmer strength of Tadhg Furlong, the maturing Will Stuart or the previously little considered Finlay Bealham? 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But assuming Jack Conan starts at number eight is there realistically enough time left to develop the kind of ingrained understanding the all-Irish trio possess? Possibly not, a scenario which will be niggling away in the back of Farrell's mind. At least nobody disputes Jamison Gibson-Park will start at 9 and Finn Russell at 10; all things being equal, the back three should comprise of James Lowe, Blair Kinghorn and Tommy Freeman. Which leaves the midfield and the bench. Do the Lions go for a they-shall-not-pass central defensive brick wall of Bundee Aki and Gary Ringrose or reunite Russell with Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones? It would seem even Farrell remains undecided. At the weekend he acknowledged that Test matches tend to be tighter tactical affairs than the lead-up games. 'We are good when we are direct,' he murmured. But the Lions could do with some extra pace – hence the likelihood of Henry Pollock being among the replacements – and Jones offers that. 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Irish Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Calling for a 'leader' mid-Tour is selection absurdity - Only One F in Foley
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If there was a notional first XV and matchday bench in place after the squad was announced it was always going to take a buffeting once the games began - no plan survives first contact. But three games in and having weeded out eight players, when it comes to four games in there are still 34 contenders and, embarrassingly, a player who has been called in has leap-frogged into contention before kicking a ball. Hello, my name is Owen Farrell: I can play out-half and first-centre or if deployed on the bench could be considered a utility centre or full-back too. Hello Owen, my name is Mr Every Lions Fan: Is it true that despite landing and assuming the role of the 40th player chosen you are now considered a real option because you have a 'stern' face... That the Lions management, who left you out of initial calculations, have brought you in when a player who does not play your position got injured - have looked at the raggle-taggle gypsy band to here and decried a lack of leadership? 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The Irish Sun
9 hours ago
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Wayne Rooney lands £800k deal to be Match of the Day pundit as he and wife Coleen become British TV's new power couple
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