The feat Owen Farrell achieved with Lions series that no man has in pro era

Owen Farrell collected his seventh British & Irish Lions cap when he came on for the final 20 minutes of the second Australia Test at the MCG on Saturday, and was soon after achieving a first for any player in the professional era.

The former England captain became the first Lion to win two series since the game went professional in 1995.

Of course, there have only been eight Lions series in that time, with only three series wins for the visitors, but, being the only remaining player on the current tour to have taken part in the victorious series against the Wallabies in 2013, Farrell was the only player this year who could have achieved such a feat.

Of the squad that triumphed over the world champions South Africa in 1997, not one was still playing 16 years later when the Lions won their second series of the professional era, let alone in contention to make Warren Gatland’s squad.

Fixture

British & Irish Lions

Australia

22 - 12

Full-time

British & Irish Lions

All Stats and Data

This accolade could very well have slipped Farrell’s grasp had Elliot Daly not fractured his arm, as the 112-cap England international was not in the initial Lions squad. Though the number of 2013 tourists that are still at the top of their game is decreasing rapidly, the likes of Manu Tuilagi and Taulupe Faletau were contenders to make the squad this year, and could very well have set this record themselves.

Being only 21 in 2013, Farrell’s game time in the Test series was limited to just one bench appearance for the final 17 minutes of the third Test, though he was an unused substitute for the opening two matches. Similarly, he has only been limited to 20 minutes so far this Test series to date after being omitted from the first Test.

Curiously, for a player of Farrell’s calibre and reputation, he has only started three Lions Tests, which all came against the All Blacks in 2017. A season in the Championship with Saracens in 2021 perhaps hampered his chances of a start against the Springboks, where he featured from the bench in two Tests.

With the squad named this week for the third and final Test of this series, Farrell could well be handed his fourth Lions start.