Saracens back Owen Farrell is set to be excluded from Steve Borthwick\u2019s squad for the Autumn Nations Series, according to reports, but England remain open to his return.<\/b><\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
He also played the second and third Tests against the Wallabies, and while that did mark his return to international rugby, that won\u2019t extend to the England<\/a> set-up.<\/p>\n This despite the fact that he is once again eligible for selection after re-joining Saracens following a stint in France with Racing 92.<\/p>\n Owen Farrell to miss All Blacks\u2019 clash<\/p>\n Farrell<\/a> hasn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Farrell was coy when asked about his availability to Borthwick<\/a> last month.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to get myself back playing well for Saracens and enjoying myself,\u201d Farrell told Sky Sports. \u201cWe\u2019ll see where we\u2019re at.\u201d<\/p>\n England won\u2019t be short on options at fly-half in Farrell\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Fin Smith not \u2018naive\u2019 as he opens up about \u2018ongoing\u2019 Steve Borthwick conversations and names his hardest hitting opponent<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Farrell\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Bath\u2019s Ollie Lawrence and Northampton\u2019s Fraser Dingwall will surely come into the selection frame, as would the former\u2019s clubmate Max Ojomoh. Exeter Chiefs\u2019 Henry Slade could also fill in at inside centre if needed.<\/p>\n Inside centre remains a problem area for England, even before Atkinson\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n England: \u2018Scented candle\u2019 Henry Slade should be dropped for Bath\u2019s weapons<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Borthwick\u2019s thinking<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n While Borthwick and his assistants aren\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a clich\u00e9, but Owen is a \u2018Test animal\u2019. He thrives under pressure, even if he has not played any international rugby since the 2023 World Cup,\u201d Ireland legend Conor Murray wrote in his Irish Times column in July.<\/p>\n After working alongside Farrell on the Lions tour this year, Garry Ringrose echoed his former team-mate\u2019s sentiments: \u201cIt 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.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a challenging turnaround from the first Test with the travelling and then the captain\u2019s run. He didn\u2019t miss a beat in terms of leadership and bringing players with him.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen he talks, everyone listens. What he\u2019s saying is the right pitch and hits the spot every time. I could feel it out there as well.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not even talking about the rugby side of things \u2013 he has that ability at the line and physicality at the line when it\u2019s needed.\u201d<\/p>\n Fin Smith, George Ford or Marcus Smith? Panel of experts weigh up Steve Borthwick\u2019s \u2018biggest selection decision\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n 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\u2019s clear to see that the latter is a different \u2018beast\u2019 in many eyes. Having that kind of leader and standard-setter is a must at the highest level, where every per cent matters.<\/p>\n With an eye on the Rugby World Cup in Australia, age is not on Farrell\u2019s side with the veteran set to celebrate his 37th birthday Down Under if he is to be included in Borthwick\u2019s 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\u2019s did for the 2023 tournament.<\/p>\n 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\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n