The British and Irish Lions have left the door open to selecting Owen Farrell for their tour of Australia next summer, even if the fly-half does not play for England.
Andy Farrell, who took up his job as Lions head coach in London on Thursday, said he had not had any discussions with his son about his potential availability after the England captain announced his retirement from international rugby late last year.
Although no timetable has been given on a potential return, the Saracens fly-half has been named the bookies’ favorite to captain the Lions in round four. Racing 92, who compete in the French Top 14, are confident of luring Farrell away from Saracens in the summer, which would make him ineligible for England selection under Rugby Football Union rules. Depending on Racing’s entry into next season’s Top 14 play-offs, Farrell could also miss the Lions’ pre-tour training camp and opening round fixture against the Western Force.
Northampton winger Courtney Lawes has also been heavily linked with a move to France; Here, open winger Jack Willis and winger Henry Arundell can also be included in the selection. But despite the Premiership bringing its final forward to help the Lions’ preparations, chief executive Ben Calveley says all players will be considered for selection, regardless of where they are based.
“We don’t have a policy that prevents anyone from being elected,” Calveley said. “If you look at previous Lions tours, you see people who haven’t played for a national team coming on a tour. Will Greenwood [in 1997] This is a great example, even though we’re going back a long way. In 2021 Finn Russell was in France, so we have no restrictions on selection.
“When we think of Owen, we think of someone who is one of the best players the Lions have ever had as a three-time tourist and we wish him all the best as he decides to step away from the international scene. “As Andy said, the election will happen in 18 months.”
Farrell will establish himself as the Lions’ most experienced scrum-half and captain option next summer with a CV that few players can match. But form, whether for club or country, will remain the sole barometer by which the Farrell senior will choose. “It’s about form, it’s about watching the game properly,” Farrell said. “The election, from that perspective, is the same as everyone else. Not different.”
When asked about his son’s decision to leave England, Farrell said it was “his choice” and that he would also support his move to Racing 92. “We make no promises,” Farrell said. “It’s a short career. You want to do things that will float your boat and make your family happy. What matters are the memories you create not only for yourself but also for others. For some, the thought of committing oneself to a club is extra, extra special. Owen has that at Saracens too, but if things change – and I don’t know if they will – it will be for the right reasons, or it will be to do the right thing for what that person thinks they need to do to be happy. ”
The Ireland head coach was selected for the Lions role by a panel that included Calveley, as well as former Lions Ieuan Evans, Ian McGeechan, Nigel Redman and Brian O’Driscoll. Calveley called Farrell, who toured twice as an assistant coach in 2013 and 2017, “an outstanding candidate for this role.” Calveley also confirmed Rugby Australia was contractually obliged to provide Wallabies to Super Rugby series for warm-up matches. Previous rounds had resulted in negative results because the Lions did not conduct tougher tests in preparation.
Discussions have already begun about a potential tour to New Zealand in 2029, but Calveley revealed they are exploring visiting other regions without a fixed agreement for the Lions to follow their traditional schedule. “There is no long-term commitment other than the Lions having a recurring position on the calendar every four years,” Calveley said. “We want to establish relationships with teams in different geographies of the world. Now don’t take this to mean that I’m saying we’ll be touring somewhere else anytime soon, but we established a relationship with Japan three years ago, we’re playing Argentina in Dublin before going to Australia.
“It is really important for us to become a more global phenomenon and develop relationships with different geographies. “There is a study we are about to start called the ‘Beyond 25 project’ about what the Lions can do differently in the future.”