08-05-2025
The Owen Farrell question that has refused to go away as his father Andy reveals his Lions selections
The 1888 tour of New Zealand and Australia, retrospectively considered the first in the Lions lineage, spanned nearly six months and featured 35 games, beginning and ending on the SS Kaikoura in the docks of Gravesend, with a travelling party that included the only Manxman ever to wear the British and Irish colours. Initial tour captain Robert Seddon did not even make it home, meeting a sad demise after running into difficulty while sculling on the Hunter River.
One does not even look that far back to chart the changing course of a perhaps antiquated concept. As recently as 1997, those selected were left waiting for a Lions letter, with a mischievous Austin Healey hiding the invite of flatmate Will Greenwood, leaving the then-uncapped centre to find out about the honour of a lifetime from a Sky Sports reporter in the Welford Road car park.
Things will be rather different this afternoon as the 2025 hopefuls find out their fate. Across a two-hour live show at the O2 Arena in front of perhaps more than 2,000 fans, Andy Farrell's squad will be unveiled in the latest step in the rampant commercialisation of one of rugby's best-performing and enduring brands.
Just one of the selected will be in the arena in full knowledge of their fate, the Lions captain – presumed to be England lock Maro Itoje – joining Farrell and Ieuan Evans to begin the considerable duties expected of the chosen pride leader.
Waiting anxiously elsewhere will be the 70-or-so thought to have been under consideration by the staff – while the dissemination of selection may have changed over the years, making this assembly remains one of the sport's greatest honours.
For many, it will be a once-in-a-lifetime chance; for Taulupe Faletau and Owen Farrell, a fourth tour is perhaps within reach. Recent events have only strengthened Faletau's case. The desperately unfortunate timing of the injury to Caelan Doris is a bitter blow for the Ireland No 8. It is a grand shame for Doris – even if Itoje had perhaps edged ahead in a battle to be named skipper.
The case of the other potential four-time tourist is rather more interesting. The Owen question has loomed over his father since Andy's announcement as Lions head coach, unfair nepotistic suggestions faced many times before by the former England assistant and yet brought fully into focus again.
The thought was that Farrell senior might get ahead of the story, removing the millstone from his neck by taking his son off the table. There would have been reasons to do so: Farrell's injury woes and mixed form at Racing 92, for one; his taking of an international sabbatical before moving to Paris another.
Yet no suggestion that the 33-year-old is out of contention has been broadcast. The younger Farrell would clearly add plenty were he to earn inclusion again, his ability to play 10 or 12 valuable on a trip like this, and his experience and competitive edge, too. Both Johnny Sexton, an assistant for this tour, and Finn Russell have spoken of how much they enjoyed working with the Englishman – his ability to drive standards would no doubt be desirable.
No 10 is always an area of intense debate in these infrequent elections, yet this is perhaps the most intriguing group yet. Of the four constituent unions, only one began and ended the Six Nations with the same out-half in harness – whatever Russell's differences with Sexton, it would be a serious shock if the Scot is not named.
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Fin Smith's coming-of-age continued with an ideal final audition in a Champions Cup call-back, the Northampton playmaker outshining Leinster rival Sam Prendergast, perhaps up for the same part. One cannot rule out either of Smith's compatriots, namesake Marcus and a resurgent George Ford, while there is also late momentum behind Tom Jordan – a URC winner at 10 but offering potentially vital versatility.
Projecting Farrell's thinking is tricky, an occasionally unconventional selector likely to throw a curveball or two. Equally, it is slightly unclear exactly how many players he will pick. Take too many – as Clive Woodward did in 2005 – and the group can become unruly and unwieldy; take too few, as Warren Gatland eventually concluded he had in 2017, and the head coach risks an unedifying repeat of the 'Geography Six' saga, and accusations of cheapening the shirt.
Also at the forefront of Farrell's mind will be a few injury frets. Mack Hansen, Duhan van der Merwe and Blair Kinghorn are all currently sidelined with issues of varying severity – availability can be one's best ability at this stage. For those on the outside looking in, staying sharp would be wise: it is unfortunately statistically likely that several of those selected fail to make it to the first Test.
Any omissions need only remember the tale of Alex Corbisiero, called up as an injury replacement for Cian Healy at the urging of forwards coach Graham Rowntree in 2013 to have a pivotal impact in the Tests against the Wallabies.
All hope will not be lost for those forced to digest difficult news today. But for the lucky few selected, a place in the pride will be an honour to last a lifetime.
