Rugby-'He's the right man', Lions coach Farrell defends decision to call up son Owen
SYDNEY (Reuters) -British & Irish Lions coach Andy Farrell said his decision to bring his son Owen to Australia as an injury replacement for Elliot Daly was made as much for his experience of three previous tours as for his playing ability.
Daly, an outside back-outside centre who was on his third Lions tour, was sent home on Thursday after suffering a broken arm against the Queensland Reds on Wednesday.
The decision to replace him with a flyhalf-inside centre who has not played a test since 2023 and is coming off an injury-ravaged season in French club rugby was always going to court controversy.
Andy Farrell told reporters in Sydney that he felt there was good cover for Daly in the outside backs and at outside centre but that his experience would be sorely missed.
"It's what we need for the squad, when you look at the experience that Elliot has had," he said.
"The experience isn't just the playing side, it's how you make the group feel, the little chats that you have around the place to make sure everything is gelling together. And obviously Owen will bring a bit of that to the group."
Farrell said the former England captain, who has played 118 tests, would not have been called up if he was not fit and would definitely be in contention to play despite not having seen any action for nine weeks.
"If you didn't have a chance, then what's the point?" he asked.
"He's the right man at this moment in time for us, he looks after himself and prides himself on keeping himself in good nick anyway.
"There are plenty of players who have not played for quite some time. And the experience of knowing what you can do helps in that regard."
Farrell junior's sometimes abrasive attitude has often divided opinion, even in England, and the decision to call him up will certainly not be popular with some fans of Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
"I hope people can get past that," his father said. "I think that there's been a lot of that nonsense for some time. That was in the past.
"I think we all just need to move on and embrace what the Lions is all about, and what we've got coming ahead."
The 33-year-old playmaker will join the squad in Sydney on Friday, too late to play a role in the match against the New South Wales Waratahs on Saturday.
After that, the Lions play tour matches against the ACT Brumbies and an invitational Australia-New Zealand team before the first test against the Wallabies in Brisbane on July 19.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney in Sydney, editing by Ken Ferris)
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