Risking it all for a favourite

The Lions' 2025 squad had barely unpacked their socks in Australia when Andy Farrell whipped out the ol’ Bat-Signal - not for Batman, but for his son, Owen Farrell. Cue rugby socials collapsing in on themselves. A move like this isn’t just spicy, it’s full-blown vindaloo. Is this about family ties, fearless leadership, or did Andy Farrell just check the “i!īìķ section of his playbook?

If this feels familiar, it’s because it is. Flashback to 2013: Warren Gatland dropped Irish rugby royalty Brian O’Driscoll and everyone lost their minds - until the Lions won, and suddenly Gatland was a genius again. That’s the thing about sport: winning erases a lot of angry opinion.

But right now, what do we imagine the vibe in camp might be? I would imagine that most are heavily motivated, considering the faulty performance against Argentina, but the much more cohesive regional games since. For Marcus Smith though, he must be wondering where his place is and eyeing up a new bench cushion. Replacing an injured outside back with a fly-half who hasn’t played in two months, and who left Racing 92 with more baggage than he arrived with, is… well, it's bold. Very bold. Like “full nepotism bingo card” bold.

Sure, Finn Russell’s wrist was wrapped in more ice than a birthday cake, and depth at 10 is a validation of Farrell Snr's decision. But calling in Owen, a guy whose last highlight was probably in a Saracens training bib, raises more than just eyebrows. Through the most rosy of rose-tinted glasses, I fail to see the context that Owen replaces a mercurial talent like Elliot Daley in this squad. And so, it raises the question: is this tactical brilliance, or just a family WhatsApp chat gone too far? Even midfielders like Aki and Tuipulotu are probably wondering if they need to fake an injury to stay relevant, and Tom Jordan might well be Googling “how to transfer to Ireland in 12 hours.” Meanwhile, Farrell Snr is gambling that Jnr’s experience, leadership, and mental steel will count for more than match fitness.

Maybe it will. Maybe on August 2, with the series tied and the pressure peaking, Owen will stroll up and slot the winning kick like a man born for the moment.

Just to put this in context. Imagine you are an experienced manager of a hospitality business gearing up for its biggest season yet - Royal Ascot week, Wimbledon, and Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour all colliding in the same fortnight. The MD has just lost their Events Director to “Event-induced stress” and there’s uncertainty with clients.

So, what does the MD do? They skip over their two experienced managers who’ve been polishing cutlery and smoothing guest complaints since before Tony Blair was in office… and instead they bring in their son. Let’s call him Jake. Jake, who just came back from running a vegan surf hostel in Portugal, where his biggest event was “Silent DJ Night with kombucha shots.”

Naturally, your team starts whispering behind the cheese station: “Did they seriously employ him over you?” / “He hasn’t done a wedding since Aunt Janet’s back garden, and that was a small disaster.” / “He doesn’t even know how to fold a napkin into a swan.”

But the MD insists that Jake has experience under pressure and an eye for detail; it's a coincidence that he’s family. To everybody else, personal connection now trumps my hospitality qualifications, trumps my supervisors' event experience, and even trumps Jake's own poor career decisions.

Now, if Jake pulls it off and the guests leave raving about how their prosecco tower sparkled under the fireworks, he's a prodigy. A legend. They’ll be naming a suite after him by Christmas.

However, just like if Farrell Jr takes priority and the Lions lose, and the phrase “should’ve picked Fin Smith” instantly becomes the most used phrase on social media channels - if the food gets overcooked and someone live TikToks a cake collapse? Well… let’s just say the next TripAdvisor review might read:

“Lovely hotel. Shame about the nepotism.”