England 's summer series-opener against Australia will be Owen Farrell 's first international outing since the autumn, but it's not all smiles for the Saracens star.
In fact, head coach Eddie Jones revealed his playmaker—who will start at inside centre in Perth on Saturday—was "very unhappy" not to be given the captaincy. That honour belongs to Courtney Lawes, who has kept the armband after deputising in the role while Farrell was sidelined during the 2022 Six Nations.
An ankle injury meant Farrell missed the entire tournament, though he's since returned to fitness and featured in Saracens' Premiership final defeat to Leicester Tigers. Harlequins talisman Marcus Smith will start at fly-half against the Wallabies, leaving Farrell to slot in at inside centre.
“Very unhappy," was Jones' response when asked about Farrell's reaction at not being named skipper. “Owen is a bloke who expresses his feelings clearly and he wants to be captain. When I told him he wasn’t going to be captain, he wasn’t very happy. But that’s OK.
“Owen’s had a fair while out of the team and at this stage we feel it’s the best thing for the team and for Owen, because he’s a very important player for us. He has played 94 Tests for England and he has won every trophy in the world, apart from [next year's] World Cup. He’s a pretty fair player and he’s a very important player for us."
Smith's emergence as England's No. 10 of the future has led to fervent debate over Farrell's role in the squad. Jones has long been loyal to his 30-year-old star, but it's possible being relieved of the armband may help get the player back to the peak of his powers.
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“We want Owen to be at his best and he’s been out of the side for a while, so it’s an opportunity for him to play three Tests back to back and produce his best,” added Jones. England's attack has looked particularly limp of late, and a second-string side recently failed to impress en route to a 52-21 defeat against the 14-man Barbarians.
Northampton Saints stalwart Lawes—a two-time tourist with the British and Irish Lions —is hoping to lead his country to a record-extending ninth straight win over the Wallabies. The Red Rose hasn't lost to Australia since Jones arrived at the helm in late 2015, and this summer's three-Test series will serve as a preview of their potential knockout opponents at the 2023 World Cup.
Along with Farrell's omission from the captaincy, Danny Care 's return to the XV was a surprise call four years since his last cap. Fans will also hope to see starlet Henry Arundell make an impact off the bench after the 19-year-old debutant-in-waiting enjoyed a breakthrough season at London Irish.
