Saracens back Owen Farrell is set to be excluded from Steve Borthwick’s squad for the Autumn Nations Series, according to reports, but England remain open to his return.
The 34-year-old represented the British and Irish Lions in Australia earlier this year after he was a late call-up following the injury to Saracens team-mate Elliot Daly and featured in the midweek matches against the AUNZ Invitational XV and the First Nations & Pasifika XV.
He also played the second and third Tests against the Wallabies, and while that did mark his return to international rugby, that won’t extend to the England set-up.
This despite the fact that he is once again eligible for selection after re-joining Saracens following a stint in France with Racing 92.
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Farrell hasn’t played for England since the 2023 Rugby World Cup after making himself unavailable to Borthwick, having fallen out of love with playing at the top level and opting to focus on enjoying his club rugby.
According to a report by the Telegraph, his self-imposed exile is set to resume ahead of the November internationals against Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and Argentina.
Farrell was coy when asked about his availability to Borthwick last month.
“I’m going to get myself back playing well for Saracens and enjoying myself,” Farrell told Sky Sports. “We’ll see where we’re at.”
England won’t be short on options at fly-half in Farrell’s absence, with George Ford co-captaining and thriving in the role during the tour of Argentina and the USA in July, and he has continued in that vein with Sale Sharks during the opening stages of the new PREM Rugby season.
Marcus Smith also hit the ground sprinting with Harlequins, leading the side to a derby day victory over Saracens, racking up 15 points, while Fin Smith has also been in fine form with Northampton Saints.
Farrell’s absence does complicate the options at inside centre, though, with Seb Atkinson, who started all three Tests in July, suffering a leg and hip injury while playing for Gloucester against Bath last Saturday, which has ruled him out of the November Tests.
Bath’s Ollie Lawrence and Northampton’s Fraser Dingwall will surely come into the selection frame, as would the former’s clubmate Max Ojomoh. Exeter Chiefs’ Henry Slade could also fill in at inside centre if needed.
Inside centre remains a problem area for England, even before Atkinson’s injury, with no one nailing down the position since Farrell stepped away from international rugby following the World Cup. The former captain was a regular starter under Eddie Jones and his successor, Borthwick, whether it was at fly-half or in the midfield.
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Borthwick’s thinking
According to the report, the England coaching staff have left the door open should Farrell indicate that he is keen to return to the international fold and backs it up with strong club form.
While Borthwick and his assistants aren’t short on options at inside centre or fly-half, Farrell has proven his quality at the highest level, having played 112 times for his country and on eight occasions for the Lions.
One does not have to look too far to find a quote or soundbite of an ex or current team-mate who sings his praises, whether that be on the pitch or training paddock.
“It’s a cliché, but Owen is a ‘Test animal’. He thrives under pressure, even if he has not played any international rugby since the 2023 World Cup,” Ireland legend Conor Murray wrote in his Irish Times column in July.
After working alongside Farrell on the Lions tour this year, Garry Ringrose echoed his former team-mate’s sentiments: “It was actually pretty cool to get a chance to play with Owen, who is someone I have admired for my whole career, especially in that kind of dogfight-type game.
“It was a challenging turnaround from the first Test with the travelling and then the captain’s run. He didn’t miss a beat in terms of leadership and bringing players with him.
“When he talks, everyone listens. What he’s saying is the right pitch and hits the spot every time. I could feel it out there as well.
“That’s not even talking about the rugby side of things – he has that ability at the line and physicality at the line when it’s needed.”
Sure, one can argue that Ford offers similar leadership and commands the same kind of respect and sets the same standards in training as Farrell, but it’s clear to see that the latter is a different ‘beast’ in many eyes. Having that kind of leader and standard-setter is a must at the highest level, where every per cent matters.
With an eye on the Rugby World Cup in Australia, age is not on Farrell’s side with the veteran set to celebrate his 37th birthday Down Under if he is to be included in Borthwick’s squad for the tournament. However, if Farrell continues to his international rugby hiatus, it does mean that his body could hold up much like Johnny Sexton’s did for the 2023 tournament.
Where England have an advantage over the 2023 Irish team is that Farrell would not be expected to play the majority of the crunch matches, either with the likes of the two Smiths and Ford in the mix at fly-half and the youngsters in the midfield. We’ve already seen the benefits South Africa are reaping by rotating their players, with Handre Pollard not getting any younger either, even though he is three years younger than Farrell.
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Rejecting Lions call-up
Farrell’s call-up to the Lions squad is also another indication as to just how impactful he in a set-up and how highly thought of he is by Test-level coaches outside of England.
Earlier this month, Lions head coach and Owen’s father, Andy Farrell, detailed as much when he revealed that the playmaker initially turned down an inclusion in the touring squad to Australia.
In his Autobiography, The Only Way I Know, the coach wrote that there ‘had to be no bias whatsoever’ and that the entire coaching staff had to agree on his selection considering his Racing 92 form and injury struggles.
Once they all agreed that his leadership and experience warranted his inclusion, Farrell explained that it would usually be enough to name a player in the squad, but not this time around.
“Ordinarily, that would have been it: we would have simply named him along with the others,” he wrote.
“But I knew it was not yet a done deal. I told the coaches I would have to ring Owen first. I needed to know whether he wanted to go and what he thought about stepping back into the international spotlight after all he had to put up with during the 2023 World Cup.
“This was a very hard phone call. When I asked Owen if he would come, he broke down in tears. He said he did not think it would be right for him, for the squad, or for me as head coach.
“It was a tough thing to hear. I told him to think it through, to take his time, and if he changed his mind, then I would put him on the standby list to cover an injury.”
READ MORE: ‘I couldn’t tell the full story’ – Andy Farrell opens up on Owen’s Lions selection