Ex-England pair float ‘first reserve’ idea as they wade into Owen Farrell Lions tour selection debate

Lawrence Nolan 21 Apr 2025 11:48 AM

Owen Farrell Lions — Racing 92's Owen Farrell

Two ex-England internationals have played down the chances of Owen Farrell being selected in the British and Irish Lions squad when it is announced by his father Andy on May 8 – but they haven’t ruled him out from eventually having a part to play on the tour to Australia.

Former Saracens and England talisman Farrell has endured an injury-hit first season in France at Racing 92, last playing a full 80 minutes in the Parisian side’s January 25 Top 14 home loss to Castres.

A start that was limited to 58 minutes in last Saturday’s league defeat at Perpignan was his fifth appearance since his latest comeback began with the March 23 trip to Clermont.

However, last week’s post-game interview admission that he is still fighting for full fitness was a red flag for TNT Sports pundit Ugo Monye. Appearing on Premier Sports following Racing’s EPCR Challenge Cup quarter-final win at Connacht, Farrell assessed his level of fitness following his run from the bench in Galway.

“I’m getting there, getting there,” he said. “It’s been a tough old year so far but I’m glad to be back on the pitch and hopefully getting back to playing well.”

‘Lions may come a little bit too soon’

Farrell’s chances of gaining selection on a Lions tour where his dad Andy will be head coach came up in conversation on TNT Sports in its weekend round round-up following Sunday’s coverage of the Gallagher Premiership win by Leicester Tigers at Bristol.

Addressing pundits Monye and Ben Kay, presenter Craig Doyle suggested that Farrell’s name would come up in a round table Lions selection discussion. Monye, though, didn’t believe that the two-time 2017/2021 tourist had yet done enough this term to merit squad inclusion.

“A fully fit Owen Farrell with a season’s worth of games, he definitely goes,” he said. “I watched him against Connacht with Racing 92 in the semi-final (sic) of the Challenge Cup last week, came off the bench, played 30 minutes, spiral bombs – he played really well.

“But afterwards he said, ‘I’m trying to get my fitness, I’m trying to get back to full fitness’. You don’t want to be trying to get your full fitness at this stage of the season, so the Lions may come a little bit too soon.”

Kay added: “I could see him being the first reserve as either a 10 or a centre just to get him out there and come in. If you lose a couple through injury, who else would you want to come in and go straight into a Test team?”

Will Owen Farrell be in the British & Irish Lions mix this summer?@ugomonye and @BenKay5 have their say 💬 pic.twitter.com/PtUIJ4qZ7Y

— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) April 20, 2025