'Doesn't really make sense': Ex-Lions team-mate dumbfounded by Owen Farrell call

Former Wales, and British & Irish Lions fly-half Dan Biggar has questioned the decision to call Owen Farrell into the current squad, saying “it doesn’t really make sense”.

The former England captain was called up to the Lions squad this week to replace compatriot Elliot Daly, who fractured his arm in the victory over the Reds.

This was a call-up that many thought was a possibility, but given the circumstances, Biggar, who was a Lions tourist alongside Farrell in 2017 and 2021, has been left perplexed.

Speaking to Sky Sports the day before the Lions face the New South Wales Waratahs in Sydney, the Welshman labelled the decision by Andy Farrell a “risk”.

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“It’s big news,” he said. “I’m struggling to get to grips with the sense of it. No one is doubting that Owen is an amazing character and an amazing player with the career he’s had. But he hasn’t played Test rugby for two years, hasn’t played any form of rugby for the last couple of months and the person he’s replacing doesn’t play in any of the same positions. So I’m just struggling to get to grips with where the sense of it is.

“Is Andy Farrell missing some sort of leadership in amongst the team? Does he need some strong characters? Does he think if it comes down to a drawn series going into that final week, does he need strong people who have been there and done it before?

“I have to say, it seems like there’s a lot of risk in this play and not a huge amount of reward in terms of you’ve got Marcus [Smith] and Fin Smith, where do they feel like they sit in the pecking order now? What are they thinking? Are they thinking ‘well he’s coming in to replace me’? There are lots of options in those positions and it just feels like it doesn’t really make sense, and I think everybody is saying the same thing. ”