FARRELL FURY AT SKIPPER SNUB
OWEN FARRELL was furious after learning he would not skipper England on the current tour to Australia.
Boss Eddie Jones met with the Saracens ace before England boarded the plane, but managed to keep the decision close to his chest until yesterday.
Jones (right) has recalled Farrell, at inside centre, for tomorrow’s series opener with the Wallabies in Perth but Courtney Lawes is retained as captain.
Farrell, 30, has been Jones’ permanent skipper, when available, since the 2018 tour to South Africa and this represents a big shift by the
Australian. He missed the end of the autumn and the entire Six Nations with two ankle problems when Tom Curry and Lawes led the team and the back row has kept the job for the time being at least. But Jones revealed Farrell was not a happy bunny when he broke the news, but insisted it was for the good of the team with the workload he has as goal-kicker and mentor for fly-half Marcus Smith.
“I told him he wasn’t going to be captain and he wasn’t happy, which I expected,” said Jones. “The captaincy takes up a fair bit of time. We feel there is enough on his plate being inside centre, he has got a young 10 next to him and that is the right role for him on this tour.
“We want him to focus on his game, develop his game, and once he’s got his game strong then we’ll look at the captaincy again.”
Billy Vunipola’s return at No.8 was well flagged up, as was Joe Cokanasiga’s on the wing. Vunipola returns after being cold-shouldered since March 2021 while Harlequins’ Danny Care is back.
The scrum-half will win his 85th cap after being out since November 2018.
“Danny probably lost a bit of an edge around 2018,” Jones said. “He’s come into camp and he looks electric.”