Owen Farrell gets pantomine villain treatment from Sydney crowd

Owen Farrell was very much the pantomine villain during the British & Irish Lions’ clash with the Waratahs in Sydney, as his face appeared on the big screen at Allianz Stadium early in the first half.

The England fly-half, who had only arrived in camp the day before as injury cover for Elliot Daly, was met with a mix of cheers and ironic jeers from the home crowd.

The tone of the reaction, from both Lions and Waratahs fans alike, was certainly on the tongue-in-cheek side of the spectrum.

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Farrell’s selection by his father, Lions head coach Andy Farrell, has proved one of the most contentious talking points of the tour so far.

Critics have questioned both the optics and the logic of the call-up, with former internationals Andy Goode and Dan Biggar among those voicing concern.

Owen Farrell getting jokingly booed by his team-mates 🤣 pic.twitter.com/tvWnDOumH1

— Sky Sports Rugby Union (@SkySportsRugby) July 5, 2025

So it was maybe no surprise he got the reception he did, given the context and the fact that he’s one of the game’s most recognisable and often divisive figures.

Farrell seemed to enjoy the moment. A beaming Farrell saw the funny side of things, sharing a laugh with teammates nearby. Lions tighthead Will Stuart, seated just behind him, hilariously appeared to join in the pantomime booing.

The brief shot sparked some amusement online.

Christy Doran posted on X: “Owen Farrell booed on the big screen too. Nice welcome by the red army in Sydney,” while Nick Wasiliev wrote: “Owen Farrell is on screen, colourful reaction from the entire crowd.”

Now on his fourth Lions tour, Farrell brings 18 previous appearances in red and over 100 Test caps for England. He could yet feature in upcoming fixtures as the Lions build towards tougher tests.

“I hope people can get past that. There has been a lot of that nonsense for some time,” Farrell Snr said of his son’s treatment during the week.

“That was in the past. We all just need to move on and embrace what the Lions is all about and what we have got coming ahead.

“We feel that the timing is right now, that we can all move on and push on, not just with Owen’s career but what we’re trying to achieve here with the Lions.”