‘Farrell’s the man to lead the Lions’
PAUL O’Connell views England captain Owen Farrell as the outstanding candidate to lead the British and Irish Lions against South Africa this summer.
O’Connell was at the helm for the Lions’ last series against the Springboks in 2009 and in Farrell he sees a veteran of two tours with the authority and drive sought by head coach Warren Gatland.
Alun Wyn Jones has become odds-on favourite for the role after excelling during Wales’ march to the first Six Nations title of the post-Gatland era, with Farrell, Stuart Hogg, Ken Owens and Maro Itoje trailing behind him.
But O’Connell, who played 108 Tests for Ireland and seven for the Lions, sees Farrell’s influence and competitive drive as key assets in the quest to topple the world champion Springboks.
“I like Owen Farrell. He’s a real standout leader for me,” Vodafone ambassador O’Connell told the PA news agency. “With matches being played without crowds, you can hear so much of what the players are saying during games. You can hear Owen barking at his own players and encouraging them.
“A lot of it is about getting off the line and the physical side of the game, but a lot of it is also coaching people into position as well.
“He’s pretty experienced, he’s been on two tours already and he has a big leadership role with England. It wouldn’t be unfamiliar territory for him. There are plenty of guys who could do the job, but for me in terms of experience and an appetite to lead, he’s the real standout.”
By his own admission and in the view of his head coach Eddie Jones, Farrell underperformed in a Six Nations that saw England finish fifth, but it was a shortcoming that ran throughout the team.
O’Connell sees a greater issue with the 29-year-old’s limited opportunities to play himself back into form due to Saracens taking part in the second tier Championship this season.
O’Connell said: “It’s probably a bit of a challenge for him now going from the Six Nations to not having a lot of class rugby.”
Paul O’Connell was speaking in support of the first instalment of the ‘Lions Live’ vlogcast series, available to view now on the official British and Irish Lions app powered by Vodafone.