British and Irish Lions: Marcus Smith; Tommy Freeman, Sione Tuipulotu, Bundee Aki, Duhan van der Merwe; Fin Smith, Alex Mitchell; Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Finlay Bealham, Maro Itoje (capt), Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, Jac Morgan, Ben Earl. Replacements: Ronan Kelleher, Pierre Schoeman, Tadhg Furlong, Scott Cummings, Henry Pollock, Tomos Williams, Elliot Daly, Mack Hansen. Argentina:...
With Leinster, Bath and Leicester Tigers all involved in domestic finals last weekend, and Toulouse’s season still ongoing in France, it was a smaller panel that Farrell brought to Portugal last week for a training camp. Although Leinster hooker Ronan Kelleher will be on the bench on Friday night six days after lifting the URC,...
There is a welcome return for Tadhg Furlong, who has played just nine times this season because of various injuries and has not featured for Leinster since their defeat by Northampton in the Investec Champions Cup semi-finals last month. The tight-head will start on the bench, with his Ireland colleague Finlay Bealham to wear the...
Former England captain Owen Farrell has agreed to rejoin Saracens, just a year after leaving the club for French side Racing 92. The 33-year-old has signed a two-year deal after the Premiership club came to an agreement with Paris-based Racing to end his stint in Top 14 a year early. Farrell, England’s record points scorer,...
Former England captain Owen Farrell is close to finalising a sensational return to Saracens. The 33-year-old is keen to move back to England after a difficult season at French side Racing 92. While a deal has not yet been signed, there is an expectation an agreement will be reached between Saracens and Racing to allow...
Backs Bundee Aki (Connacht Rugby/Ireland) Elliot Daly (Saracens/England) 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) Fin Smith (Northampton Saints/England) Marcus Smith (Harlequins/ England)...
Getty Images Born in Dublin, Farrell spent over 30 years working in the US When the world learned of Pope Francis’ death on Monday morning, a cardinal with longstanding ties to the US was the one to break the news. After announcing that the pope had “returned to the home of the Father”, Irish-American Cardinal...
Head coach Farrell said that there are as many as six players in contention for the Lions captaincy, with the skipper not learning of his appointment until shortly before the squad’s announcement on 8 May. “There are maybe four, five, six on the list,” he said. “When you narrow it down – this is the...