Owen and Andy Farrell missing from Ireland v England after big announcements
Ireland kick off their Six Nations title defence at home to England this evening in the most eagerly anticipated match of the tournament’s opening weekend.
In recent years, the fixture has been synonymous with the Farrell family, with fly-half Owen being an ever present in the English side and his father Andy in charge of the Irish team.
However, for the first time in a decade, neither of them will be involved in today’s clash in Dublin, with their collective absence coming as a surprise to more casual fans of the sport.
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So, where are they? Well, Farrell senior stepped away from his role as head coach ahead of the tournament - with defence coach Simon Easterby stepping up to fill in for him. However, it is just a temporary move, with Farrell taking time away from his job with Ireland to focus on his preparations for this summer’s British & Irish Lions tour to Australia.
The 49-year-old was confirmed as the new Lions coach in January last year, and he began his six month sabbatical following the culmination of the autumn internationals. He has got straight to work and named some of his coaching team earlier in the week, with Welsh coach Aled Walters among those to head Down Under alongside him.
Farrell has also hit back at any suggestions that he will be putting his feet up during the Six Nations, as he remarked in the autumn: “It sounds like I am going on holiday. I promise you, I'm not! I'm not leaving, I live in Sandymount!'
As for Owen, however, his absence remains indefinite, having stepped away from international rugby following the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
The then-England captain explained at the time that he was making the shock move - which ruled him out of last year’s Six Nations - to prioritise his and his family’s mental wellbeing. He had been booed by his own fans during the World Cup, with the criticism he had received described as “disgusting” and “toxic”.
England coach Steve Borthwick later said he was “really hopeful” that Farrell would come back to represent his country in the future, but admitted that only the man himself could decide whether to make it happen or not.
“We’re all hopeful that he’ll return to the England team at some point soon,” said Borthwick. “But that’s going to be a decision Owen makes.
“This is one of England’s greatest-ever players – greatest-ever captains. I am really hopeful he will play for England again, but I made it really clear there is no pressure on him. It’s his decision, at the time that’s right for him.”
However, that potential return was thrown into doubt months later, as it was announced that Farrell had signed for French giants Racing 92 on a two-year deal, which began at the start of the current season.
With the RFU’s eligibility rules preventing players based overseas from being selected, England’s record points scorer will remain ineligible until at least 2026, one year out from the next Rugby World Cup.
He will be approaching his 35th birthday by then and, despite what he has done for English rugby, may well find himself out of Borthwick’s plans by then - if he even wants to return in the first place.
But equally, his move to France has not exactly got off to the smoothest of starts, with the Englishman branded a Top 14 transfer flop by the French media, who savagely claimed: “Farrell's more than neutral performances quickly plunged us into an abyss of dismay”.
Whether we will ever see him back in an England shirt, then, remains to be seen.
