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Owen Farrell's Lions chances have nose-dived

(Photo by Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images)

Owen Farrell’s aspirations of making a fourth British & Irish Lions tour appear to be on shaky ground as injuries and his new club’s patchy form cast shadows over his selection for next summer’s expedition to Australia.

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Despite crossing the Channel to join Racing 92 and being ineligible for England, the 33-year-old has remained a favourite to be selected for the tour down under by head coach Andy Farrell, his father.

Farrell’s first season in the Top 14 has been a bit of a mixed bag.

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    He has started eight of Racing’s eleven league matches under Stuart Lancaster but injury has kicked the brakes on his recent involvement.

    His struggles came to a head against Pau, where he was hauled off after just 32 minutes, shortly after which Racing announced that the 33-year-old had gone under the surgeon’s knife for a groin issue, ruling him out for several weeks at least.

    Owen Farrell Racing 92 Top 14 debut
    New Racing 92 No10 Owen Farrell (Photo by Valentine Chapuis /AFP via Getty Images)

    This setback will likely see him miss the opening salvo of Racing’s Champions Cup campaign at the very least, which kicks off next weekend against Harlequins at Stade Dominique Duvauchelle in the Parisian suburbs.

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    The problem for Farrell is if he’s starved of top-level Champions Cup games for Racing 92, then it becomes harder to justify his inclusion. He needs to return to European action as a matter of urgency, preferably in a Racing 92 side that goes on a decent run in the competition, which is far from guaranteed given their Top 14 struggles.

    What also may have hurt his chances is that due to injury he has handed over club-kicking duties to halfback Nolann Le Garrec, and that was prior to surgery. Farrell’s goalkicking has traditionally been one of his strongest suits, but if he isn’t kicking for his club regularly later in the season, it will leave another awkward question mark hanging over the ex-Saracens man.

    The time frame for Farrell’s return to the fray remains uncertain. His recovery will be closely shepherded as Racing look to restore him to action as fast as possible. Notably, he’s currently been listed alongside Demba Bamba and Hassane Kolingar as a long-term injury concerns by Midi Olympic.

    Racing’s indifferent form certainly doesn’t help his Lions ambitions either. Like it or not, whether or not your club is competing for silverware at the end of the season is very much part of Test selection arithmetic. Although there is plenty of rugby to be played, Racing – who are currently languishing in eighth – don’t look like Top 14 title contenders.

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    Against this, Farrell does some major pluses riding in his favour.

    Owen Farrell
    Owen Farrell (L) the non playing England captain, is consoled by his father Andy Farrell, who is the Ireland head coach after their defeat in the Summer International match between Ireland and England at the Aviva Stadium on August 19, 2023 in Dublin, Dublin. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

    Firstly, he has enormous credit in the bank as one of the most decorated and experienced flyhalf at Andy Farrell’s disposal. With the retirement of Johnny Sexton and Dan Biggar, only Finn Russell comes close to matching Farrell for out-of-out experience.

    Secondly, assuming Farrell Snr takes three flyhalves [and that’s a big assumption], while Marcus Smith and Russell are shoe-ins, is there an obvious third-choice flyhalf? The Lions’ tour might have come too soon for Scotland’s break-out star Tom Jordan, while Ireland are yet to settle on a flyhalf. Rookie Sam Prendergast has impressed this autumn and seems to have eclipsed Jack Crowley in the pecking order, but he’s just three caps into his Test career.

    Meanwhile, Wales’ Sam Costelow and injury-prone Gareth Anscombe both feel like distant longshots, not least given the national side’s dire 2024.

    Thirdly, Farrell Jnr is a proven option at 12, which makes him an attractive pick if the Lions want to play with an additional kicking option in a ‘second flyhalf’ backline, as favoured in two of three Tests on the 2017 tour of  New Zealand, where Farrell played outside Johnny Sexton.

    Farrell’s hopes hinge on his recovery from injury and rediscovering the form that once made him a talisman for Saracens and England. For now, his priority is clawing his way back to fitness and getting some solid game time for his Parisian paymasters.

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    Comments

    19 Comments
    E
    Ed the Duck 123 days ago

    If Biden can pardon his son…

    😂

    T
    Thomas K 123 days ago

    Of course his Dad will pick him

    J
    JW 123 days ago

    What a stupid rule, not being eligible for the national team due to the club side you play for. You'd think the English would scrap it like the Boks did considering the state they are in.

    E
    Ed the Duck 123 days ago

    …and how do NZ do it?

    T
    Tom 123 days ago

    At the moment there aren't that many players playing abroad that would get into the England team. Jack Willis is the notable exception. Possibly Henry Arundell. The rest of them have retired from international rugby or are Owen Farrell. We've also recently introduced a central contracting system for the top players so the RFU top up their salaries to keep them in the country. All in all, missing out on Willis, Arundell and Farrell is worth keeping the domestic league stronger for. Willis and Arundell only left because their clubs went bust. So they're doing a good job of keeping players playing in England. If the restriction is lifted there would be an exodus. Those players may benefit from playing in a stronger league and improve but the premiership would fall off a cliff and that would be highly damaging.


    Oh and the Kpoku brothers too I guess but they're half French or something I believe.

    J
    JD 123 days ago

    I see the reasoning for it - French clubs can pay more so any exciting, good players can jump across the channel and cash in. What then becomes of our club game? Do you think the less hardcore fans would still show up week in week out to watch prem teams if the big names are gone? The economic factor is huge in all this.

    J
    JD 124 days ago

    On the kicking front Farrell hasn't kicked for Racing since the opening 2 weekends of the season. Even Lancaster junior kicks ahead of him when he takes the field. Maybe Farrell just isn't kicking well in training etc?

    J
    J Marc 124 days ago

    The current flyhalf for Racing is ..... Lancaster son. Gibert who played a few minutes last year for France. If Racing had the Perpignan supporters, Lancaster dad would have some problems...

    J
    JD 124 days ago

    Since Farrell's injury Lancaster and Gibert have shared the 10 shirt. They are the only other fly halves in the squad so it makes sense.

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    Comments on RugbyPass

    f
    fl 1 hour ago
    Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

    “A succession of recent ex-players going straight back into the game as coaches in their early 40’s would prob be enough to kill it stone-dead. Innovation would die a death.”

    Would it? I do think one of the major differences between rugby and most other sports - which we’ve been overlooking - is the degree to which players are expected to lead team meetings & analysis sessions and the like. Someone like Owen Farrell has basically been an assistant coach already for ten years - and he’s been so under a variety of different head coaches with different expectations and playing styles.


    “The most interesting ppl I have met in the game have all coached well into their sixties and they value the time and opportunity they have had to reflect and therefore innovate in the game. That’s based on their ability to compare and contrast between multiple eras.”

    I don’t doubt that that’s true. But having interesting insights doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be the best able to inspire a team, or the best at managing the backroom staff.


    “Wayne Smith winning the WWC in his mid sixties three years ago prob means nothing to you but it meant a lot to him. It took him back to the roots of is own coaching journey.”

    I don’t doubt that! But I don’t think coaches should be hired on the basis that it means a lot to them.


    “The likes of Carlo Ancelotti and Wayne Bennett and Andy Reid all have a tale to tell. You should open your ears and listen to it!”

    I agree! Never have I ever suggested otherwise!

    176 Go to comments
    J
    JW 5 hours ago
    French bid to poach 109kg 17-year-old dual-code Aussie prospect Heinz Lemoto

    Yes that’s what WR needs to look at. Football had the same problem with european powerhouses getting all the latin talent then you’re gaurenteed to get the odd late bloomer (21/22 etc, all the best footballers can play for the country much younger to get locked) star changing his allegiance.


    They used youth rep selection for locking national elifibilty at one point etc. Then later only counted residency after the age of 18 (make clubs/nations like in this case wait even longer).


    That’s what I’m talking about, not changing allegiance in rugby (were it can only be captured by the senior side), where it is still the senior side. Oh yeah, good point about CJ, so in most cases we probably want kids to be able to switch allegiance, were say someone like Lemoto could rep Tonga (if he wasn’t so good) but still play for Australia’s seniors, while in someone like Kite’s (the last aussie kid to go to France) case he’ll be French qualified via 5 years residency at the age of 21, so France to lock him up before Aussie even get a chance to select him. But if we use footballs regulations, who I’m suggesting WR need to get their a into g replicating, he would only start his 5 years once he turns 18 or whatever, meaning 23 yo is as soon as anyone can switch, and when if they’re good enough teams like NZ and Aus can select them (France don’t give a f, they select anybody just to lock them).

    9 Go to comments
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