'One of the best England players that we've ever seen': Coach's son picked to take on AUNZ Invitational XV in controversial call
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Controversial mid-tour replacement Owen Farrell is in the reserves of the British and Irish Lions side playing an AUNZ Invitational XV on Saturday.
Farrell hasn't played international rugby since the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
By game day he will have played no rugby in nine weeks and only 18 minutes in the last 10 weeks.
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Owen Farrell looks on from the touchline prior to the tour match. Getty
The former England captain replaced the injured Elliot Daly to make it onto his fourth Lions tour.
He will play his 19th game for the Lions when he comes off the bench in what is a last chance for the team to impress coach and father Andy Farrell before the Test series begins against Australia next week.
"We are in a great position just over a week out from the first Test," Andy Farrell said.
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Owen Farrell of England speaks with Andy Farrell of Ireland. Getty
"The players now have another chance to put in a strong team performance and put a hand up for selection for the Test matches against the Wallabies."
Forward Tadhg Beirne will captain the Lions for the second time after tour leader Maro Itoje was given another rest.
"Owen is one of the best England players that we've ever seen. A fit Owen Farrell makes any team better," Itoje said.
The back row, still not fixed for the Lions, features Henry Pollock, Jac Morgan and No.8 Ben Earl.
"He's the Owen I know. He's the same man, he's still got the same quality – the way he's trained, the way he's been around the boys," Earl said of Farrell.
"He's got that added experience of having been in a different environment, fruit-picking the bits he can take from that and the lessons he's learned about himself during some of the difficulties he's had this year.
"During the warm-up (against the Brumbies), I somehow found myself kicking back to him. He's still one of the best, if not the best, player I've played with. Trust me, he's gonna be fine."
The shadow Lions test side conceded four tries to a ACT Brumbies side missing eight Wallabies in a scratchy 36-24 win on Wednesday.
Fullback Hugo Keenan makes his second tour appearance, and a timely one after his rival for the No.15 Test jersey, Blair Kinghorn, left the Brumbies win early with an injured left knee.
Scrumhalf Ben White gets his first start after replacing the injured Tomos Williams in the tour party in Australia.
The first combined Australia-New Zealand XV since the 1989 Lions tour has 17 internationals, including the entire starting side.
Coach Les Kiss, the Wallabies coach-in-waiting, picked Crusaders' Super Rugby-winning skipper David Havili and Queensland Reds forward Lukhan Salakaia-Loto as co-captains.
"The co-captaincy model with natural leaders like David and Lukhan will really suit this team and what we represent," Kiss said.
"In forming new bonds many of them have discovered they have more in common than they originally thought."
The Lions are 4-0 in Australia since a 28-24 loss to Argentina in a warmup in Dublin.
They have beaten all of Australia's Super Rugby franchises.
Before the Brumbies, they defeated the Western Force, Reds, and NSW Waratahs.
The Test series begins on July 19 in Brisbane, followed by games in Melbourne on July 26 and in Sydney on August 2.
British and Irish Lions (15-1): Hugo Keenan (Ireland), Mack Hansen (Ireland), Huw Jones (Scotland), Sione Tuipulotu (Scotland), Duhan van Der Merwe (Scotland), Fin Smith (England), Ben White (Scotland), Ben Earl (England), Jac Morgan (Wales), Henry Pollock (England), Tadhg Beirne (Ireland, captain), James Ryan (Ireland), Will Stuart (England), Luke Cowan-Dickie (England), Pierre Schoeman (Scotland)
Reserves: Ronan Kelleher (Ireland), Andrew Porter (Ireland), Finlay Bealham (Ireland), Scott Cummings (Scotland), Josh van der Flier (Ireland), Alex Mitchell (England), Marcus Smith (England) Owen Farrell (England)
AUNZ Invitational XV: Shaun Stevenson, AJ Lam, Ngani Laumape, David Havili (co-captain), Marika Koroibete, Tane Edmed, Folau Fakatava, Hoskins Sotutu, Pete Samu, Shannon Frizell, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto (co-captain), Angus Blyth, Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Aidan Ross
Reserves: Kurt Eklund, Joshua Fusita'a, George Dyer, Matt Philip, Joe Brial, Kalani Thomas, Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, Jock Campbell
