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Six Nations statement: Tom Curry 'Tunnelgate' incident
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My single biggest issue with Owen Farrell call – Andy Goode
By Andy Goode
Andy Farrell’s decision to call up his son as a replacement for Elliot Daly was always going to polarise opinion among fans, let’s hope it doesn’t do the same within the squad.
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Ultimately, the British and Irish Lions head coach will be judged on whether he wins the Test series or not and if this ends up helping him do that, then he’ll be proved right but I think this is as big a call as Warren Gatland dropping Brian O’Driscoll for the final Test in 2013.
If you’re Fin Smith or Marcus Smith, it isn’t going to fill you with confidence that another fly half is being added to the group in place of an outside back and it didn’t look too bad but maybe Farrell senior does think even more cover is needed in that position after Finn Russell had ice on his wrist following Wednesday’s game against the Reds.
Equally, Sione Tuipulotu and Bundee Aki will be looking over their shoulders as the boss has said the Lions were “a little bit vulnerable in and around 12” and England’s all-time leading points scorer does provide a different type of option in that role.
It’s his prerogative to call up whoever he wants in whatever position he wants, South Africa did call up Handre Pollard to replace Malcolm Marx at the last World Cup after all, but the likes of Blair Murray, Darcy Graham and Freddie Steward will all be scratching their heads.
Tom Jordan has every right to be even more frustrated as someone who has been tearing up trees at international and club level at both fly half and inside centre in the past 12 months.
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Meanwhile, Owen Farrell hasn’t played for over two months since he went off early in Racing’s Challenge Cup semi-final against Lyon and had a very difficult campaign in Paris that was beset by injuries and poor form and will doubtless have been a humbling experience.
He has subsequently agreed a deal to return to Saracens and I’ve heard that those negotiations did include some tough conversations around his conduct and demeanour and the effect that has on those around him.
Ultimately, he’s a born winner and drives standards and will have learned a lot from his experience in the French capital, as well as all the many highs and few lows at Saracens, so hopefully he has nothing but a positive influence on others moving forwards.
Some people will say Farrell junior’s selection is nepotism but both father and son will be well aware that is the case, be prepared to deal with that criticism and no doubt point to all the trophies and accolades he’s won over the years.
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I have to say I don’t think he’d have been called up if Gatland was coach, or Steve Borthwick or Gregor Townsend for that matter, but that’s inconsequential as every head honcho should have the right to pick whoever he thinks gives him the best chance of success.
You can’t argue with the fact that Owen has won a Lions tour and no other player in this squad can say that but he hasn’t played international rugby for almost two years and has presumably been training on his own in recent weeks.
He’s a consummate professional but he’s going to have to go some to prove he’s fit enough to feature in even the third Test, let alone the first in just over two weeks’ time.
This is obviously not a selection based on form, it is clearly based on experience and leadership credentials so maybe that’s something the head coach thinks is lacking a little bit after working with the squad for a few weeks.
Maybe he wants to shake things up a bit and we’re unlikely to hear what players really think about it even after the tour, directly at least, but I think it’s bound to have ruffled a few feathers.
Andy Farrell has said he has loads of cover at full back but neither of the most obvious options in that position, Blair Kinghorn or Hugo Keenan, have featured yet on tour so another player comfortable at 15 would have been a more logical choice.
Logic doesn’t have to come into though, it’s all about winning and maybe it’s written in the stars that Farrell junior kicks the winning penalty or drop goal in the third and final Test in Sydney on August 2.
Any coach in sport is judged on results and it definitely isn’t based on form but whether this selection centres around nepotism, historical achievements, big game mentality or anything else will be immaterial if the Lions win the series and Owen has a hand in it.
Gatland would have been hounded for dropping O’Driscoll if the Lions had lost the third Test in Sydney in 2013 but the series was won and the decision is looked upon more favourably as a result, hopefully Andy Farrell is vindicated too over the coming month.