Lions boss treats son Owen Farrell like any other player, says coach
FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union - British & Irish Lions v Argentina - Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland - June 20, 2025 British & Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell during the warm up before the match REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne/File Photo
MELBOURNE - The familial bond between head coach Andy Farrell and playmaker son Owen looms large over the British & Irish Lions as they prepare for the second test against Australia in Melbourne on Saturday.
However, the dynamic between the pair has been strictly professional since Owen's late call-up into his father's squad, according to Lions scrum coach John Fogarty.
Owen Farrell missed out on selection for the first test win in Brisbane but the former England captain has been named in the reserves for the clash at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Farrell and his father have shared plenty of change-rooms, including during the Lions' 2013 tour of Australia, when Andy was defence coach and Owen came off the bench to help the tourists win the third test decider in Sydney.
The family ties make for an interesting sub-plot as the pair could celebrate another series win at the MCG on Saturday.
In the team environment, though, their special relationship is virtually imperceptible, said Fogarty.
"When we're training or when we're in a rugby setting, there's no difference between any player and Owen," Fogarty told reporters on Friday.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore SMRT to pay lower fine of $2.4m for EWL disruption; must invest at least $600k to boost reliability
Singapore MRT service changes needed to modify 3 East-West Line stations on Changi Airport stretch: LTA
Asia Live: Thailand-Cambodia border clashes continue for second day
Singapore Etomidate found in blood of 2 people involved in fatal Punggol Road accident in May: HSA
Singapore More students to get Smart Buddy watches; most schools have gone cashless
Singapore Vape disposal bins at 23 CCs for users to surrender e-vaporisers, without facing penalties
Business Microsoft Singapore managing director Lee Hui Li dies while on sabbatical
Singapore Kopi, care and conversation: How this 20-year-old helps improve the well-being of the elderly
"It's just the same relationship as any player and coach. If you didn't know it was his son, you wouldn't really get it.
"You wouldn't really think he was his son. He doesn't treat him in any way differently.
"They're two professionals."
The coach's decision to call up Owen as a replacement for injured fullback Elliot Daly proved polarising despite the flyhalf/centre's leadership and experience of three previous Lions tours.
Farrell had, after all, not played a test for England since 2023 and endured an injury-blighted season with French club Racing 92.
But few have questioned the 33-year-old's selection for the Melbourne test following his strong, 80-minute performance at inside centre in the mid-week win over the First Nations & Pasifika XV.
Farrell's versatility and experience could prove valuable for the Lions on Saturday should the test prove tight and tense deep into the second half.
The players will hear a familiar voice out on the field.
"He has huge respect from the other players," Fogarty said.
"When he talks, he talks sense, like his dad.
"There's similarities between the two of them. They're natural leaders. That's very visible when they both interact with players." REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Times
2 hours ago
- Business Times
Trump arrives in Scotland for golf and bilateral talks as EU trade deal nears
[EDINBURGH/LONDON] US President Donald Trump, dogged by questions about his ties to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, arrived in Scotland on Friday (Jul 25) for some golf and bilateral talks that could yield a trade deal with the European Union. Trump told reporters upon his arrival that he will visit his two golf properties in Scotland and meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, whom he called a 'highly respected woman'. As hundreds of onlookers cheered his arrival, Trump repeated his earlier comment about a 50-50 chance of securing a deal with the EU, adding it would be his administration's biggest trade agreement thus far, if it came together. However, he said there were still 'sticking points' with Brussels on 'maybe 20 different things'. Trump said his meeting with Starmer would be more of a celebration of the trade deal already reached than continued work on it, adding: 'It's a great deal for both.' Before he left Washington, Trump said his administration was working hard on a possible trade deal with the EU, and Brussels was keen to make a deal. Von der Leyen said later she would meet Trump in Scotland on Sunday. EU diplomats say a deal could result in a 15 per cent tariff on EU goods, mirroring a framework accord with Japan reached this week and half of the 30 per cent Trump is threatening to impose by Aug 1. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Trump has sought to reorder the global economy after imposing a 10 per cent tariff on nearly all trading partners in April and threatening sharply higher rates for many countries to kick in a week from now. Trump says the moves will reduce the US trade deficit and bring in extra revenue, but economists warn the new trade policies could drive up inflation. 'Don't talk about Trump' Trump, facing the biggest domestic political crisis of his second term, expressed frustration about ongoing questions about his administration's handling of investigative files related to Epstein's criminal charges and his 2019 death in prison. 'You make it a very big thing over something that's not a big thing,' Trump told reporters in Scotland, urging them to focus on other prominent Americans with ties to Epstein, including former president Bill Clinton. 'Talk about Clinton. Talk about the former president of Harvard. Talk about all of his friends. Talk about the hedge fund guys that were with him all the time. Don't talk about Trump,' he said. 'What you should be talking about is the fact that we have the greatest six months in the history of a presidency.' The Epstein issue has caused a rare breach with some of Trump's most loyal Make America Great Again supporters, and majorities of Americans and Trump's Republicans say they believe the government is hiding details on the case, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling. White House officials are hoping the controversy dies down while Trump is abroad, two sources familiar with the matter said. Deepen ties Trump will stay at his Turnberry property on Scotland's west coast this weekend, before travelling on Monday to a golf property in Aberdeen, where he will open a second 18-hole course named in honour of his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod. MacLeod was born and raised on a Scottish island before emigrating to the US. As he left the White House, Trump said he looked forward to meeting both Starmer and Scottish leader John Swinney, who had publicly backed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 US presidential election. The trip gives Trump and Starmer a chance to deepen their already warm ties, with key issues on the agenda to include ending Russia's war in Ukraine, British and US sources said. The deteriorating situation in Gaza is also likely to come up. Starmer on Thursday said he would hold an emergency call with France and Germany over what he called the 'unspeakable and indefensible' suffering and starvation being reported there, and called on Israel to allow aid to enter the Palestinian enclave. Gaza health authorities say more than 100 people have died from starvation, most in recent weeks. Human rights groups have said mass starvation is spreading even as tons of food and other supplies sit untouched just outside the territory. Since being elected last year, Starmer has prioritised good relations with Trump, stressing the importance of Britain's defence and security alliance with the US, while working to clinch the first tariff-reduction deal with the US in May. The framework agreement reaffirmed quotas and tariff rates on British automobiles and eliminated tariffs on the UK's aerospace sector, but left steel tariffs in place. Starmer is expected to press for lower steel tariffs, but sources close to the matter said it was unclear if any breakthrough was possible during Trump's visit. Trump has described Scotland as a 'very special place' and made a similar trip there in 2016 during his earlier run for the presidency, but he will not necessarily get a warm welcome. About 70 per cent of Scots have an unfavourable opinion of Trump, while 18 per cent have a favourable opinion, an Ipsos poll in March found. Scottish police are girding for protests on Saturday in both Aberdeen and in Edinburgh, the country's capital. Trump will return to Britain from Sep 17 to 19 for a state visit hosted by King Charles. It will make Trump the first world leader in modern times to undertake two state visits to Britain. The late Queen Elizabeth hosted him at Buckingham Palace for a three-day state visit in June 2019. REUTERS
Business Times
3 hours ago
- Business Times
Euro zone economy holds up even as ECB speakers look to temper market view of no more cuts
[FRANKFURT] The euro zone economy has remained resilient to the pervasive uncertainty caused by a global trade war, a slew of data showed on Friday (Jul 25), even as European Central Bank (ECB) policymakers appeared to temper market bets on no more rate cuts. The ECB kept interest rates unchanged on Thursday and its modestly upbeat assessment of the euro zone economy raised investors' expectations that a year-long easing cycle, which halved the bank's key rate to 2 per cent from 4 per cent, may be coming to a close. Supporting some of this optimism, lending data showed the fastest pace of expansion in two years, while a key ECB survey predicted quicker economic growth along with inflation right on target. A separate Ifo survey on Germany meanwhile showed the seventh consecutive rise, indicating that the bloc's biggest economy is still motoring along despite trade tensions holding back exports and corporate investment. The figures also back comments from ECB President Christine Lagarde that the bloc may have performed a 'little better' than expected last quarter. The fresh data, combined with Lagarde's comments, led investors to keep reducing their bets on further rate cuts. Markets now see just a 50 per cent chance of another move this year, a major retreat from earlier this week when another cut was fully priced in. Still, policymakers appeared to take a more cautious view than financial investors. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up 'Risks to growth were still tilted to the downside, with uncertainty remaining very high,' French central bank chief François Villeroy de Galhau said. 'More than ever, in a volatile environment, agile pragmatism in light of data and forecasts is of the essence.' One key worry is that tepid growth, a strong euro and the hit from tariffs will all curb price pressures, raising the risk that inflation, now at the ECB's 2 per cent target, will fall too low, requiring stimulus from the central bank. 'US tariffs, the extent of which is still uncertain, are not expected to cause inflation to rise, while the appreciation of the euro is having a significant disinflationary effect,' Villeroy said. Finnish central bank chief Olli Rehn also appeared to caution against staying on the sidelines for too long. 'Taking more time for decision-making is now particularly useful - the option value of waiting is exceptionally high,' Rehn said in a blog post. 'However, we should not wait in vain for general uncertainty to diminish much, at least not under the current US administration.' Nevertheless, several major banks revised their ECB forecasts. Goldman Sachs, BNP Paribas, Nomura and Commerzbank have all scrapped their predictions for more policy easing, expecting no more rate cuts this year, while JPMorgan pushed back its call for one final rate cut to October from September. However, several others, including Bank of America, Barclays and UniCredit, continued to predict a move in September, even if some of them acknowledged that the chances of a move have diminished somewhat. REUTERS
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
US condemns French inquiry into social media platform X
Find out what's new on ST website and app. The social media company last week denied the allegations, calling them 'politically motivated.' WASHINGTON - US officials issued a harsh condemnation on July 25 of France's criminal investigation into the social network X, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, on suspicion of foreign interference. 'As part of a criminal investigation, an activist French prosecutor is requesting information on X's proprietary algorithm and has classified X as an 'organised crime group,'' the US State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor wrote on their X account. 'Democratic governments should allow all voices to be heard, not silence speech they dislike. The United States will defend the free speech of all Americans against acts of foreign censorship.' Paris cybercrime prosecutors called for the police probe July 11 to investigate suspected crimes – including manipulating and extracting data from automated systems 'as part of a criminal gang.' The social media company last week denied the allegations, calling them 'politically motivated.' X also said it had refused to comply with the prosecutor's request to access its recommendation algorithm and real-time data. The investigation follows two January complaints that alleged the X algorithm had been used for foreign interference in French politics. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Cambodia calls for ceasefire with Thailand after deadly clashes Asia 'Nothing like this has happened before': At least 16 dead as Thai-Cambodian conflict continues Multimedia Lights dim at South-east Asia's scam hub but 'pig butchering' continues Business Banking and finance jobs will change but won't disappear as AI becomes the new normal: Accenture Singapore SMRT to pay lower fine of $2.4m for EWL disruption; must invest at least $600k to boost reliability Singapore Tipsy Collective sues former directors, HR head; alleges $14m lost from misconduct, poor decisions Asia Hottest 'ticket' in Jakarta? Young Indonesians compete for a slot at singing club Singapore Kopi, care and conversation: How this 20-year-old helps improve the well-being of the elderly One of the complaints came from MP Eric Bothorel from President Emmanuel Macron's centrist party , who complained of 'reduced diversity of voices and options' and Mr Musk's 'personal interventions' in the platform's management since he took it over. X said it 'categorically denies' all allegations and that the probe 'is distorting French law in order to serve a political agenda and, ultimately, restrict free speech.' Tesla and SpaceX chief Mr Musk has raised hackles with his forays into European politics, including vocal backing for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party ahead of February legislative elections. 'Democracy is too fragile to let digital platform owners tell us what to think, who to vote for or even who to hate,' Mr Bothorel said after the investigation was announced. AFP
