Owen Farrell has indicated he may make himself available for England again, despite the social media 'poison' that led him to step back from Test rugby last year. The 33-year-old, currently captain of the British & Irish Lions for their midweek tour match, said he wants to emulate Johnny Sexton and play at the highest level for as long as possible.
Farrell has not played for England since the 2023 World Cup but has enjoyed his involvement on the Lions tour of Australia. He admitted that several Lions teammates have asked about his future plans, and he is inspired by Sexton, who played for Ireland until age 38. 'I'm determined to enjoy what I'm doing and love every minute of however long that I've got left,' Farrell said.
The fly-half, who will turn 34 in September, has returned to Saracens after a spell at Racing 92. He acknowledged the challenges of social media, calling both positive and negative reactions 'a poison'. 'If you go and knock on someone's door and ask their opinion of how you played at the weekend, you wouldn't really listen to their answer,' he said. 'The things that should matter to me are the people that matter to us.'
Farrell's potential return would bolster England head coach Steve Borthwick's options, with Fin Smith, Marcus Smith, and George Ford also vying for fly-half positions. For now, Farrell is focused on the Lions, captaining the midweek side against a First Nations & Pasifika XV. 'I think the most important thing is that I come here, be myself and then see where that goes,' he said.
