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Luke Cowan-Dickie on the internal Lions reaction to Owen Farrell bombshell
By PA
Luke Cowan-Dickie declared “you don’t lose class” as he welcomed Owen Farrell’s bombshell call-up by the British and Irish Lions.
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Farrell will arrive in Sydney on Friday after being summoned by the Lions as a replacement for Elliot Daly, who has returned home because of a fractured forearm just as he was playing his way into the Test team.
Andy Farrell’s decision to turn to his 33-year-old son is controversial given his last England appearance was almost two years ago and he was limited to just 17 games for Racing 92 last season because of groin surgery and concussion.
However, England’s record points scorer and captain from 2018 to 2023 brings with him vast experience, including from three previous Lions tours, and he is the only player in the squad who was involved in the triumphant tour to Australia in 2013.
Cowan-Dickie believes his CV makes him a valuable addition as the Lions continue their build-up to the first Test against the Wallabies on July 19.
“You don’t lose class. Faz is a class player, so I’m well happy,” said Cowan-Dickie, who starts Saturday’s match against the New South Wales Waratahs in Sydney.
“When it was announced internally, the reaction was good. Faz is a well-known player. He’s played quality rugby over many years.
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“One thing about Faz is the standards he sets on the training field. He’s got bit of an aura about him on training fields, which makes you want to try and train to perfection.
“I know it’s quite hard to perfect training every single day, but he definitely makes standards higher.
“He’s a good team man. Even though he might not be involved one week he stays the same in training and the standards he wants to set.”
Farrell has not played since he was concussed against Lyon on May 4 and he must get up to speed as quickly as possible if he is to make an impact on the playing field Down Under.
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Tadhg Beirne, who has been named captain against the Waratahs at Allianz Stadium, played with Farrell during the 2021 Lions tour to South Africa.
“Owen brings some serious quality. We’re looking forward to him coming into the squad and getting to hang out with him,” Beirne said.
“Any type of leadership is only going to enhance the squad. Playing with him four years ago, I’ve seen all those leadership qualities that he brings.
“There’s the quality of his talent as well, which will do nothing but boost the squad.”