Owen Farrell accepted the invitation to take part in his fourth tour with the British and Irish Lions without hesitation, despite being aware of the potential “toxic effect” his participation could have.
Farrell will captain the Lions for the first time on Tuesday against the First Nations and Pacific XV at Marvel Stadium, 17 days after arriving in Australia as a replacement for the injured Elliot Daly.
The former England captain had just finished a friendly game of golf in honour of his ex-Saracens team-mate Jackson Rae when his father Andy called to invite him to join the team.
Due to car trouble, he was able to take cover to answer a phone call without arousing the suspicions of his fellow golfers.
“When I was asked to come, the first thing that came to my mind was ‘yes,’” Farrell said.
“It wasn't a negotiable issue. Elliot got an offer and I got a call. 'Can you pull it together?' And I said, 'Yeah.' That was it. I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity and I'm glad I'm here.”
Before his return against AUNZ on 12 July, his final international appearance came at the 2023 World Cup, after which he stepped down from the England squad to focus on his mental health and the wellbeing of his family.
It was a response to the vitriolic comments that followed his disqualification for a high tackle against Wales before the tournament, as well as the boos he received as England reached the semi-finals.
The 33-year-old struggles to understand why he is such a controversial figure, but has learned to cope with tougher moments by keeping perspective while “trying to look after myself and give myself time to rest.”
“I realize that times have changed,” he said. “Sometimes things take off and just take on a life of their own, wherever they go, and there's a driving force behind it. But no, I don't always get it.
“Both good and bad are poison. It doesn't mean that everything is bad, but for us as players, the ones that matter are the ones that really matter to us.”
“If you knock on someone's door and ask them about a gig this weekend, you're not likely to listen to their answer. The people I think are worth listening to are the real reg
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
