Andy Farrell’s decision to call up his waning son Owen to join the British and Irish Lions touring party Down Under has provoked cries of nepotism and fears that the team’s balance and harmony will be disrupted in the UK media.
While there had been pre-tour talk of Owen being brought in in case of injury, the reality of his call-up caused shock.
“Lions calls are invariably controversial. The quality and quantity of those ignored is too great for these decisions to be easily accepted by everyone. However, the debate around Owen Farrell’s call-up, is turbo charged,” wrote Mike Henson for the BBC.
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“Andy Farrell’s harshest critics will claim that, regardless of Owen’s on-pitch pedigree, blood ties have played a part.
“Andy and Owen are close. Andy was 16 when Owen was born. As a child, Owen would kick a ball about on the sidelines as his father captained Wigan. As a teenager Owen made his first Saracens appearance in a pre-season friendly against Western Force, replacing his father off the bench.
“As Owen’s career has grown, Andy’s words about his son have become careful and few.
British & Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell, right, and his son Owen Farrell before the Lions 1888 Cup match between the British & Irish Lions and Argentina at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. (Photo By Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
“Here will certainly be enough hot air expressed over Owen’s Lions call-up to fill a big top or two.”
Henson said the case against the decision to parachute Owen for a fourth Lions tour was clear. At 33, the England legend, capped 112 times, is short of form, fitness and played his last game two months ago – the final miserable act of a failed sojourn with Racing 92 hampered by a groin injury that cost him speed and hampered his kicking.
Chris Foy, writing in the Daily Mail, was most incredulous.
“Owen Farrell is on his way to join up with the British and Irish Lions, prompting an outpouring of shock and one overwhelming question. Why?,” Foy wrote.
“It makes no sense. It is a staggering call-up with profound implications. First, the 33-year-old is on his way to fill the void left by the injured Elliot Daly, but the England back wears 11, 13 or 15 and Farrell Jnr wears 10 or 12. The suspicion is he was always destined to be summoned, once any back beyond the scrum-halves was sent home.
Owen Farrell (Kaz Photography/Getty Images)
“This is a player who generates such diverse opinion, so let us stick to facts and simple logic. He last played international rugby at the 2023 World Cup, then stepped away from England duties due to hostility from his own fans.
“The captain was booed throughout that tournament as Steve Borthwick’s side reached the semi-finals — as those following the national team did not believe in him as the right man to run the show at 10, while Marcus Smith was shunted out to full back.
“His decision to withdraw from the Test firing line made sense for him and his young family. There was a sympathetic response. But nothing since has led to a clamour for him to return. It is a long time since Farrell delivered an imperious display. There has not been one since he left his beloved Saracens more than a year ago.
“It is a gamble by Andy Farrell to pick his son; one he did not need to take. Finn Russell has been imperious and the two Smiths — Fin and Marcus — offer creative variety as back-up options. Bringing in Farrell Jnr suggests the head coach does not truly trust the younger 10s to deliver when the chips are down. Savage.
“People will see this as preferential treatment. It will mean there is an elephant in every room wherever the Lions go in Australia. Those involved and those supporting from near and far want to feel it is a meritocracy and that a VIP lane does not exist. This is about pedigree and entries on the c.v.
“Of course, Farrell ticks those boxes. He is a Test centurion. He has been on three previous Lions tours. He has won titles with Saracens and England. He has captained his country in a World Cup final. He is the country’s record points-scorer.
“Farrell is also respected as a supreme competitor, who epitomises the ‘Test match animal’ tag. But he is not the only one of those. A penny for George Ford’s thoughts in response to this news. Over in Argentina, he is poised to win his 100th England cap. He is a supreme playmaker and has been in vintage form. But he is not coming here.
“Of course, the ploy could go down as a master stroke. But so many stars will have to align for that scenario to come to pass.”
Foy said the Lions’ rampant form so far in Australia – winning both matches by scoring 50+ points – meant “This did not need to happen.
“They should have powerful momentum by the time of the series opener on July 19. They can take down the Wallabies without turning to a veteran who may not still have what it takes.
“There is going to be an almighty commotion about this call-up — a lot of external noise and fierce debate. It will overshadow the build-up to the fixture against the Waratahs on Saturday and perhaps every other subsequent game. Why? WHY??”
Foy was backed up in the same masthead by Calum Crowe.
“Clearly, he’s one of the greats. His pedigree is beyond question. But all of this is based on the idea of peak Farrell; this ruthless warrior and competitor,” wrote Crowe.
“The player who has now arrived in Australia belatedly is not peak Farrell. In all honesty, he’s not even close.
“But it’s not really about Jordan or any of the other hopefuls being overlooked. This is about the circus that Andy Farrell has now created by picking his son.
“You can bet your bottom dollar that each and every press conference now is going to be dominated by questions about Farrell Jr.
“There will be a clamour in some quarters of the media for him to automatically go straight into the Test team.
“Is that really what the Lions need right now? Andy Farrell has created a drama where there really didn’t need to be one.”
British & Irish Lions captain Maro Itoje, left, and Head Coach Andy Farrell after the British & Irish Lions Squad and Captain announcement for the 2025 Tour of Australia at Indigo at The O2 in London, England. (Photo By Ben McShane/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
Former England player Andy Goode, writing on RugbyPass, said results will be the determining factor when ultimately judging And Farrell’s decision.
“Some people will say Farrell junior’s selection is nepotism but both father and son will be well aware that is the case, be prepared to deal with that criticism and no doubt point to all the trophies and accolades he’s won over the years,” wrote Goode.
“I have to say I don’t think he’d have been called up if Gatland was coach, or Steve Borthwick or Gregor Townsend for that matter, but that’s inconsequential as every head honcho should have the right to pick whoever he thinks gives him the best chance of success.
“You can’t argue with the fact that Owen has won a Lions tour and no other player in this squad can say that, but he hasn’t played international rugby for almost two years and has presumably been training on his own in recent weeks.
“He’s a consummate professional but he’s going to have to go some to prove he’s fit enough to feature in even the third Test, let alone the first in just over two weeks’ time.
“This is obviously not a selection based on form, it is clearly based on experience and leadership credentials so maybe that’s something the head coach thinks is lacking a little bit after working with the squad for a few weeks.
“Maybe he wants to shake things up a bit and we’re unlikely to hear what players really think about it even after the tour, directly at least, but I think it’s bound to have ruffled a few feathers.
“Any coach in sport is judged on results and it definitely isn’t based on form but whether this selection centres around nepotism, historical achievements, big game mentality or anything else will be immaterial if the Lions win the series and Owen has a hand in it.”
Oliver Brown, writing in the UK Telegraph, looked at the potential impact Owen’s arrival could have on other experienced players in the cohort – particularly captain Maro Itoje.
Maro Itoje of the British & Irish Lions takes on Jock Campbell during the tour match between Queensland Reds and British & Irish Lions at Suncorp Stadium on July 02, 2025 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
“In the correct circumstances, [Owen Farrell’s] alpha instincts can be advantageous. Evidently, Farrell Snr envisages him dictating the dressing-room dynamic, driving standards, monitoring team-mates for the slightest dip in intensity,” wrote Brown.
“But a Lions tour of Australia in 2025 is neither the time nor the place to be reverting to this faded formula. This should be a moment for looking forwards to the charismatic leadership of Maro Itoje in three Tests against the Wallabies, not backwards to the polarising influence of a man who has not played at this level for 20 months and whose ill-starred sojourn in Paris was depicted in the French media as an “abyss of dismay”.
“You can imagine how Itoje must feel inwardly. Across his entire professional career with Saracens and England, he has only ever known Farrell as his immediate superior, the man who would automatically be entrusted with a leadership role even when his performances were suspect. How must he regard the Lions coaching team’s faith in him now that the one player who gravitates to captaincy like a moth to a lantern is taking the first available flight Down Under?
“The three fly-halves could also be forgiven for worrying. While Marcus Smith is effectively rendered surplus to requirements by Farrell’s addition, even Finn Russell, who on recent form picks himself as the Test 10, will harbour a few stirrings of apprehension at this shake-up of the camp. A certain ‘teacher’s pet’ reputation has developed around Farrell, with both Eddie Jones and Steve Borthwick insisting ad nauseam that he was England’s best option as captain in spite of much evidence to the contrary.
“The impression is that Farrell has been brought to Australia less as a series-changing superstar than as a glorified mascot, a purveyor of all the right vibes and values. At 33, he is far removed from his peak, lacking both form and – according to Andy when the squad was announced in May – fitness. Expecting him to be the solution now is counter-intuitive at best. Why disrupt the Lions’ balance when they have just run up two consecutive 50-plus scores, playing the type of fast-paced, expansive rugby to which Farrell is increasingly ill-suited? In so many ways, his arrival for a fourth tour is a bewildering decision, threatening to unleash a pantomime purely of his father’s own making.”
Stuart Barnes, in The Times, said Farrell’s decision could unsettle his top No.10 Finn Russell.
“The question is, what do the Lions need most, a leader or a player who can make a big impact on the tour? Leaders? His father is an acknowledged inspiration. Maro Itoje offered a massive lead-by-example performance in Brisbane while Finn Russell has an off-field computer which enables him to play to plan but swiftly switch when the plan isn’t working,” wrote Barnes.
“Farrell is different. He has always been a coach’s captain; one who takes the strategy and enforces it, whether it is functioning or not. The Scot is a sharp rugby thinker who really doesn’t need Farrell barking pre-planned orders from inside centre.”
Barnes added: “On form, the selection is a joke. George Ford will keep his thoughts to himself over a gentle glass of Malbec in Argentina. Farrell or Ford at 10? There’s no choice. But Farrell versus Ford at 12? Well, Ford is only a fly half. Farrell, in theory, slips into the squad as a 10/12. That’s something for the Farrell fans to hang their hopes on.”
In the Guardian, Robert Kitson, used an ancient cricket analogy to put the call-up into perspective.
“Not since Colin Cowdrey was summoned from the depths of an English winter in 1974-75 to take on Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson in an Ashes series, at the age of 41, has a tour replacement arrived with more fanfare and less recent match practice,” wrote Kitson.
“The jury of social media will also be keen to see if Farrell is picked for the bench against the ACT Brumbies on Wednesday – his father predicted he would feature “soon enough” – almost two years on from the persistent online abuse that contributed to him stepping away from the international game.”
RugbyPass writer Neil Fissler was blunt, on social media platform X: “Nepotism at its finest. Owen Farrell has had a superb career, one that we can only dream of, but wouldn’t be on his way to Australia if his dad wasn’t the coach.”
Gavin Mairs in the Telegraph was swimming against the tide. He did, however, sit down with Owen for a positive interview recently.
“It is going to be a challenge for Farrell to prove his match fitness in such a short space of time, but even his presence in training will be impactful by bringing the hard-edged Lions nous and leadership that this squad is missing,” wrote Mairs.
“In contrast, the selection of Warren Gatland’s 41-strong squad for the 2017 tour included 13 players who had experienced a traditional tour before, and two – Alun Wyn Jones and Leigh Halfpenny – who were on their third.
And what a redemption story it would be if Farrell, who was cheered by Lions supporters when he appeared on the stadium screens for the pre-tour match against Argentina in Dublin, ends up kicking the match-winning penalty in the third Test.”
Will Owen, of Squidge Rugby fame, was another enthused. “HYPED. The man is a Lions legend at this point. He’s been out of action with Racing for a while but there’s nobody I trust to turn it on for Test rugby like Owen Farrell. Was he the obvious selection to me? Maybe not. Am I his dad? Definitely not. Do I love this pick? Absolutely.”
