Head coach Andy Farrell insists his son Owen is ready for a return to international rugby after he was called up into the squad for the Qatar Airways British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia 2025.
Owen, who has played his Test career at fly-half or inside centre, joins an elite group as he becomes only the fifth player to participate in his fourth Lions Tour.
The 33-year-old, who recently rejoined Saracens from Racing 92, has six Lions caps to his name from his three previous Tours while the most recent of his 112 England caps came at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
He replaces Elliot Daly in the squad after he was ruled out for the rest of the Tour with a fractured arm sustained in the 52-12 win against the Queensland Reds on Wednesday.
READ MORE: The Making of Owen Farrell
Andy Farrell said: “I suppose for all of us, really, we look at international games or we look at club games, or whatever, but the person is still the person and the character is still the character.
“The player inside is still the player inside if he is fit and well and ready to fire, and we see all of that [in Owen] – that hunger has always been there.
“We see him adding to the group and injecting a bit of life and experience, as far as what he can bring to the squad.”
When asked what Owen’s reaction to being called up was, Andy Farrell said: “Well he didn’t cry like Finlay [Bealham]! I suppose that’s what happens when it’s your fourth Tour.
“He’s delighted like everyone else. It was just a very short conversation, as in ‘yep, I can get ready, get packed, ready to go.”
Owen Farrell will join the Lions’ touring party on Friday, but naturally there was disappointment for Daly who had impressed at full-back in Australia, including two tries against the Western Force.
Daly becomes the second Lions player to have their Tour ended prematurely after scrum-half Tomos Williams was ruled out with a hamstring injury following the 54-7 victory over the Force.
Andy Farrell said: “It’s disappointing for all of us, like it was for Tomos.
“In the same manner, he’s an unbelievably popular guy amongst the group and obviously he’s vastly experienced.
“The experience that he’s not just got 70-odd caps at Test level but in a Lions shirt he’s somewhat of a Lions legend in regard to the 16 times he’s pulled the shirt on and 11 consecutive games – that’s amazing, isn’t it?
“Five caps, it could have been six had he come off the bench (against South Africa in 2021), he’s a very experienced player who was back to his best as well, so it’s very sad,”
