Owen Farrell has taken the first step towards a sensational comeback to international rugby after sealing a return to Saracens.
The 33-year-old ended his 16-season stint at Sarries last summer to join Racing 92 but returns to his former club after a single year.
His transfer has opened the door to a potential comeback to the national team, with Farrell unavailable while playing in Paris.
Rules state players picked for England must compete in the Premiership, which ruled out the fly-half, who was in France’s Top 14.
Farrell has not played test rugby since the World Cup two years ago, captaining Steve Borthwick’s side to a third-place finish in France.
Despite England impressing en route to an agonising one-point defeat to eventual champions South Africa in the semi-finals, Farrell came under intense scrutiny for his individual performances.
A month after the tournament, the inside centre pulled out of the 2024 Six Nations ‘to prioritise his and his family’s mental well-being’.
His subsequent inelegibility by joining Racing made any talk over an international return moot until his now-return to boyhood Saracens.
Farrell has now spoken about how the ‘non-stop’ criticism he faced while skippering England at the World Cup two years ago ‘hurt’.
“The World Cup was tough and I felt that this was not like it should be playing for my country, playing for England,” Farrell said in an interview with The Telegraph.
“I have loved playing for England throughout my career.
“I could make sense of the criticism, I could make sense of the booing, and I could make sense of everything that was going on. But put it all together, and it felt like it was non-stop. It was overwhelming.
Farrell initially retired from England before moving to France with Racing 92Getty Racing owner Jacky Lorenzetti said Farrell ‘played at the speed of a snail going backwards’AFP“In the past, when I was younger, people thought I didn’t care. I did care. Everyone thinks that I didn’t because I was competitive. But stuff did hurt.
“I overthink everything anyway, but I always just thought it was all just part of it, and I would fight against it and suppress it.
“I had wanted to enjoy it, but everything seemed to hit the fan after that.”
Asked whether he is open to a return to the national team, Farrell, who has 112 England caps, added: “My only real thought so far is getting back to being happy and enjoying what I am doing and love my rugby again.
“Getting back to Saracens and the Premiership has been my only real thought so far.
“Who knows what I will feel like in six months or a year’s time. The key behind all of it is that I am determined to be happy.”
Farrell is now back in contention after leaving Racing 92 to return to SaracensGettyView Tweet: twitter.com/hashtag/YourSaracens?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Farrell endured a poor campaign for Racing as the club finished 10th in the Top 14 and missed out on Champions Cup qualification.
Struggles with a groin injury and concussion only hampered his progress, and he has now returned to Saracens, with whom he won six Premiership titles, three Champions Cup crowns, and an RFU Championship between 2008 and 2024.
He inked a two-year deal upon his return to Sarries this week, with his boyhood club announcing ‘the goat is back’ on social media.
Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall said: “Owen has Saracens in his DNA; his competitive spirit is woven into the fabric of this club, and we are delighted he has chosen to come home.
“He returns to a young group full of potential, players eager to learn, play and push for success. We know he will love being part of where this group, and this club, are headed.”
Owen’s dad, Andy, resisted the temptation to include his son in the squadGettyFull British & Irish Lions squad
Forwards:
Tadhg Beirne (Munster Rugby/Ireland) #838
Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers/England)
Jack Conan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #839
Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks/England) #851
Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors/ Scotland)
Tom Curry (Sale Sharks/England) #853
Ben Earl (Saracens/England)
Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland) #848
Tadhg Furlong (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #818
Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears/England)
Maro Itoje (Saracens/England) #825 (C)
Ronan Kelleher (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
Joe McCarthy (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
Jac Morgan (Ospreys/Wales)
Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints/England)
Andrew Porter (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
James Ryan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland)
Dan Sheehan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
Will Stuart (Bath Rugby/England)
Josh van der Flier (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
Backs:
Bundee Aki (Connacht Rugby/Ireland) #837
Elliot Daly (Saracens/England) #822
Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints/England)
Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
Mack Hansen (Connacht Rugby/Ireland)
Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland)
Hugo Keenan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse/Scotland)
James Lowe (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints/England)
Garry Ringrose (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
Finn Russell (Bath Rugby/Scotland) #835
Fin Smith (Northampton Saints/England)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins/ England) #855
Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland)
Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland) #841
Tomos Williams (Gloucester Rugby/Wales)
Farrell was not included in the British and Irish Lions squad coached by his father, Andy, for the forthcoming tour to Australia.
However, injuries have already hit camp, with Farrell now in a position to join the party late should any of the fly-halves pull out.
The Lions get their tour underway on Friday evening as they take on Argentina in Dublin, live on talkSPORT, before flying Down Under.
We’ll have all of the Lions’ matches live across the network over the coming weeks, plus special daily programmes with all the latest news and stories from the camp.
To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream.
You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.
The Lions on talkSPORT
talkSPORT has all of the British and Irish Lions matches live across the network. Eddie Jones is among the star-studded line-up leading the coverage Down Under.
June 20, Dublin: Lions vs Argentina
June 28, Perth: Lions vs Western Force
July 2, Brisbane: Lions vs Queensland Reds
July 5, Sydney: Lions vs New South Wales Waratahs
July 9, Canberra: Lions vs ACT Brumbies
July 12, Adelaide: Lions v ANZAC XV
July 12, Brisbane: Lions v Wallabies
July 22, Melbourne: Lions v First Nations and Pasifika XV
July 26, Melbourne: Lions v Wallabies
August 2, Sydney: Lions v Wallabies
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