Lions captain Maro Itoje backs Owen Farrell for England return
Farrell has been called up to his fourth expedition with the Lions as a replacement for the injured Elliot Daily and there is a possibility he will be involved in the series against the Wallabies as fly-half and inside centre cover.
Any appearance would be his first Test since the 2023 World Cup, after which he stepped back from international rugby to prioritise his and his family's mental wellbeing before then joining Racing 92, making him ineligible for England selection.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by The British & Irish Lions (@britishandirishlions)
But by agreeing a return to Saracens for next season he is available once more – and Itoje would endorse his comeback for the national side.
'Yeah, why not? I want to see him be happy,' said Itoje, who has played under Farrell with both Saracens and England.
'If he wants to play for England, why not? That would be amazing if that's in his plans and in his dreams.
'Owen is one of the best England players that we've ever seen. A fit Owen Farrell makes any team better. If that's in his ambitions, why not?'
Farrell's presence in Australia has ignited speculation that Itoje's authority as Lions captain may now be undermined, but the 30-year-old insists his former schoolmate at St George's in Harpenden will be only a positive voice.
'I've known him for donkey's years now. I have a very good relationship with him. And he just wants the squad to do well,' he said.
'Sport, for me particularly, is never about ego. I want people to speak, have their voices heard and contribute in a positive way.
'It's never about me, if I'm captain, having the final say or sticking my chest out or anything like that. It's not about that.
'It's about how can we as a collective get the best result? How can we as a collective win? How can the team be successful? Because when the team is successful, first of all, you can't do it by yourself.
'And two, when the team is successful, everyone wins. Everyone has a brighter light shone on them.
'And everyone can dine on that glory for years to come. So that's all I care about. And I know Owen's the exact same. That's not an issue at all.'
Johnny Sexton, the former Ireland fly-half who is the Lions' kicking coach in Australia, insists Farrell is a valuable addition to the squad.
'Experience is experience. He's a world-class player. Look at what he's won,' Sexton said.
'He's not just a guy who has hung on to the coat-tails of other people, he's the one who has been driving those teams.
'He's been fantastic to have in camp and I'm sure he's going to add loads for the rest of the tour.'
The Lions were guilty of being too lateral in Saturday's disappointing victory over the New South Wales Waratahs, and Itoje wants them to be more direct in Wednesday's clash with the ACT Brumbies in Canberra.
'We need to punch holes, get go forward and then space opens up, wherever that may be,' said Itoje, who leads a Test-strength side.
'At times we've been very good in playing direct and playing through teams. But at times we probably look to go wide before we probably earn the right.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Dan Sheehan handed four-match ban for dangerous clear-out on Tom Lynagh that went unpunished
Dan Sheehan, the British and Irish Lions hooker, has been banned for four matches after a dangerous clear-out on Australia fly-half Tom Lynagh that went unpunished by the officials during the third Test. According to a press release issued on Monday morning by World Rugby, Sheehan did not accept that foul play had occurred nor that the offence warranted a citing. This extended his eventual ban, though it will be reduced by a week if the 27-year-old completes World Rugby's coaching intervention programme, widely known as 'tackle school'. Sheehan, who appeared to hit Lynagh in the head with his elbow during the first half of the Lions' 22-12 loss on Saturday, was collared with charging into a ruck or a maul and a panel found his actions to be reckless. Tom Lynagh flattened by elbow to the head. #AUSvBIL — Jobson Growthe (@electricBAU) August 2, 2025 The committee also found that he made head contact with Lynagh, who subsequently left the field and did not return, and that Sheehan's actions 'amounted to a high degree of danger and that no mitigation applied'. There was minimal reaction to the clear-out from any players at the time, with Lynagh even staying on the field long enough to kick a penalty goal, which might have spared Sheehan from greater scrutiny. Michael Lynagh, the former Wallabies fly-half and father of Tom, has used his X account to repost several questions of how the officials missed Sheehan's actions at the time. One of them derided the situation as 'utterly insane'. Another, from Jack Quigley, said: 'So, just to be clear: This TMO will stop the game to check literally EVERYTHING except Dan Sheehan's hit that took Lynagh out. What are we doing here.' Had referee Nika Amushakeli been alerted to Sheehan's actions, it is highly likely that a card would have resulted. Even though 20-minute red cards were in play during the series, allowing teams to replace the offending player after that amount of time, the bunker official would have had scope to send off Sheehan permanently. Sheehan will now miss Leinster's pre-season game against Cardiff as well as their first two matches of the United Rugby Championship campaign against Stormers and Sharks. Provided that he completes World Rugby's coaching intervention programme, he will be available to face Munster on October 18.
Times
2 hours ago
- Times
Ben Earl: I'll bring what I've learnt with the Lions back to England
When the jetlag, and his hangover, subsides, Ben Earl will reflect on how England can become more like the British & Irish Lions. During five years of international rugby he has never loved anything in his career quite like the past eight weeks. He returns a Lions series winner, having played in two Tests, and has realised that he and England could do so much, so much better. Earl calls the Lions a 'life-changing experience', that has been 'completely transformative' for him, and he said he has appreciated being 'treated like adults' by Andy Farrell, the head coach. Earlier in the tour he said he had worked out you do not need to live like a monk all week before a Test match, like he has done before. The two-games-per-week rhythm in the middle of the tour challenged him to adapt, and Earl feels like he thrived.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
World Rugby gives Dan Sheehan a four-match ban after Tom Lynagh hit
British and Irish Lions hooker Dan Sheehan has been suspended for four matches following an illegal clearout on Australia's Tom Lynagh during Saturday's third Test in Sydney. The ban can be reduced to three games if the Ireland and Leinster player successfully completes a coaching intervention course. The incident, where Sheehan's elbow appeared to make contact with Lynagh's head, went unpunished during the match but was retrospectively cited. World Rugby 's independent review committee deemed Sheehan's actions reckless, involving head contact and a high degree of danger. Sheehan, who was captaining the Lions at the time, has accepted the sanction, although he did not agree that foul play occurred or warranted the citing.
