Owen Farrell is confident that he could prove his fitness quickly if either the Lions or England decide to call on his services in the coming days or weeks.
The former national captain was back in familiar territory at StoneX Stadium in north London on Tuesday, after securing an early return to Saracens. For now, his focus is on preparing for a second stint at the club he calls ‘home’, but there is a possibility that he might be asked to rapidly relocate to either Australia – with the Lions, or Argentina – with England. Should that happen, Farrell believes he can be cleared for action.
His ill-fated season at Racing 92 ended with the latest in a series of injury lay-offs, after a head knock. Asked if he could play imminently, Farrell said: ‘I’ve not finished off the (return-to-play) protocols, so I’ve got to go through some stuff. I’m still working and training on my own.
‘It would probably be better if I was with a team at the minute, but if I was to play, I’d have to go through the protocols to get back to contact (training). I shouldn’t be far away from that. I think all I need to do is come through the contact bits.’
Recapping the whole sorry saga of medical setbacks during his time in Paris, he added: ‘It was from the off really. I got an over-loading problem at the end of pre-season and played for 10 weeks or so. I stopped kicking pretty early.
‘It was to do with my pubis and my groin. It was hard to shake off and I stopped (playing) and had an injection to try to settle it down. It didn’t. It felt good for about a week but then I started picking up other stuff because of it.
Owen Farrell says he is not far off a return to action after an injury-plagued campaign in France
Farrell is returning to Saracens next season (left) after being struck by injuries at Racing 92
‘Then I had an operation, came back, wasn’t quite right, so I took myself to see a specialist in Doha, then started working to make myself right. I came back and started getting back to feeling good, a bit, then got concussed and finished the season like that.’
For Farrell, agreeing to re-join Saracens at least a year earlier than planned ‘just felt right’. What didn’t feel right to him was any ‘hypothetical’ talk of involvement on a summer tour. Farrell Jr was seen as a prime contender for a late Lions call-up after his father, head coach Andy Farrell, confirmed that he was among the players outside the squad who were being monitored.
So, what is the state of play now? ‘It’s not changed I don’t think, it’s the same,’ said Owen. ‘There’s nothing for me to do but get myself back here and get myself in the best place possible.’
When asked about the widespread assumption that he’d end up with the Lions in Australia, he added: ‘I’m not thinking like that. If you do start thinking like that you can tie yourself in knots.’
For now, instead of playing for the famous British and Irish touring team, he will be observing them in the unfamiliar role of TV pundit, for Sky Sports, when the Lions face Argentina in Dublin on Friday. ‘I thought I’d give the commentary a go,’ he said.
‘I’m nervous about doing it but I’ve never done it before and looking forward to it.’
After the 2023 World Cup, Farrell stepped away from England duties, to protect his and his family’s mental well-being, following a period of fierce criticism. The short stint away from the Premiership and the intense scrutiny he had been subjected to may have served to reignite his enthusiasm for national service, but for now the veteran Test centurion was non-committal about that, too.
There has been regular contact with Steve Borthwick, so what if the England head coach needed him for the tour of Argentina and the USA?
Farrell could be playing Test rugby this summer either for the Lions (left) in Australia or England
‘It’s hard to answer,’ he said. ‘It’s hypothetical. I don’t want to say, really. I’ve just got my foot through the door here, and that’s all I’m interested in.’
What Farrell would say is that, in principle, he remains available for international selection: ‘I’m not retired, no.’
He would also say how he admires England’s new fly-half, Fin Smith – and his two main rivals for the No 10 shirt, Marcus Smith and George Ford.
‘He’s been great,’ he said, in reference to the Saints prodigy. ‘England have clearly got some great options (at 10). There is a good blend of differences between him, Marcus and George. You wouldn’t ever be disappointed with any of them.’
