Owen Farrell is to join the British and Irish Lions’ tour of Australia after receiving a shock call-up to replace the injured Elliot Daly.
The Lions are reeling from the news that Daly, one of their form players Down Under, will miss the rest of the tour after sustaining a fractured forearm in Wednesday’s 52-12 victory over Queensland Reds.
Rather than replacing the versatile England star with a similar alternative such as Wales’ Blair Murray or Scotland’s Tom Jordan, head coach Andy Farrell has turned to his 33-year-old son to fill the gap in his squad.
It is a controversial decision given Farrell’s most recent Test appearance was in the bronze medal match at the 2023 World Cup, while his ill-fated 2024-25 season with French club Racing 92 was undermined by injuries and indifferent form.
“It is heartbreaking for the group that Elliot’s tour is over,” Andy Farrell said.
“He’s a Lions legend who has added so much to the group on and off the field over the past few weeks and over the course of three tours.
“Owen will now come in and add to our options and bring his own Lions experience to the group.”
Farrell will arrive into Sydney on Friday, bringing with him the experience accumulated during 112 caps for England, whom he captained from 2018 to 2023.
He will be embarking on his fourth Lions tour having made six Test appearances across the 2013, 2017 and 2021 expeditions and will bring leadership, experience and organisation.
Saturday’s clash with New South Wales Waratahs has come too soon and the third match in Australia will see Ireland’s Tadhg Beirne take charge.
Blair Kinghorn and Hugo Keenan will make their Lions debuts on the left wing and at full-back respectively.
Kinghorn joined up with the Lions for the first time on Monday having helped Toulouse win the Top 14 final on Saturday while Keenan was forced to withdraw from the team to face the Reds because of illness.
In a sad twist of fate, Daly was parachuted in at full-back from outside the matchday 23 at Suncorp Stadium and subsequently broke his arm, ending his tour.
Henry Pollock is given his second start Down Under, this time at blindside flanker, while his Northampton team-mates Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith form the half-backs.
