Owen Farrell is nearing a New Year return from injury, primed to drag Racing 92 out of a mid-winter crisis and reignite his prospects of earning a call-up for the Lions tour.
The 33-year-old former England captain and Test centurion has endured a disrupted first season in France, since his summer relocation from Saracens, and last month he had surgery on a nagging groin problem.
Both the marquee recruit and his struggling club have been frustrated by the setback, but Farrell’s rehab is progressing well.
Speaking to Mail Sport, Racing head coach Stuart Lancaster said: ‘It was a groin injury which required a surgical procedure and he’s making a very good recovery. He’s running well now. Hopefully, he will return to training early in the new year, and be available for selection not long after that.’
Farrell didn’t make the trip to Salford for his club’s Champions Cup encounter with Sale on December 13, as the visitors suffered a chastening 29-7 defeat. But the previous week, he was alongside Lancaster and assistant Frederic Michalak in the coaching box during the narrow home win over Harlequins in the French capital.
For the former England head coach, 55, overseeing a troublesome transition phase at Racing, being able to call on Farrell’s wealth of experience and expertise has been a valuable asset, even during his enforced break from playing.
Owen Farrell is nearing a return to club rugby with Racing 92 after being hampered by injury
The former Saracens star has been unable to have the desire impact at his new French club
But head coach Stuart Lancaster has praised the star’s help on the touchline while he has been out of action
‘He’s been really helpful to me, personally,’ said Lancaster. ‘Even though he’s not on the training field at the moment, he’s got the ability to understand what I’m thinking and what I’m looking for, and to transmit that through to the playing group.
‘He’s not just been concentrating on his rehab, he’s really concentrated on trying to help the team, in almost like an assistant coaching role. He’s been really helpful to me and to the group.’
Will Farrell go on to emulate his father, Andy, by becoming a full-time coach one day?
‘I would think so,’ added Lancaster. ‘Obviously, here, it’s about trying to translate your ideas into French and deliver them in French, but he’s got such an understanding of the game and what needs to happen in the week, to get ready for the game. He’s very good and he’s got the respect of the playing group.’
As with Lancaster himself and fellow English imports such as Henry Arundell and Sam James, Farrell has been having French lessons in a quest to become more fluent. He has already reached the stage where his linguistic standards are ‘good enough on the training field’ so that ‘players understand his messages’.
The decision to make the move was founded in part on a desire to escape the hostile, high-pressure environment of English rugby, where Farrell had been thrust into a pantomime villain role, even when leading the national team. Owen, wife Georgie and sons Tommy and Freddie have taken to their new surroundings.
‘He has settled well,’ said Lancaster. ‘It’s been a big move for him and his family. His wife and two children have come across with him and the children have started at French primary school. The dog (Ronnie) has come across as well! I think he has enjoyed the challenge and also the change from being in the spotlight.’
Unfortunately, on the field,
The Racing 92 coach tipped Farrell to one day follow in the footsteps of his Ireland head coach father Andy (pictured)
The player left Saracens after a 16-year stint at the north London club in the summer of 2024
Farrell also took a step back from the England rugby set-up after being subjected to abuse
Farrell has not — as yet — been able to make the sort of impact he would have wished, and Racing would have hoped for, due to the injury which flared up soon after he arrived. ‘It’s a shame with his injury that he’s not been able to play recently but he’ll be back soon and there is still a long way to go in the season,’ said Lancaster.
‘He was hampered with the groin injury, not from the first week but within the first month or so. As a consequence, he couldn’t goal-kick, so Nolann (Le Garrec) had to goal-kick. We hoped that the lessening of the load would help, but it clearly didn’t, so we got to a point where we needed to be fair to him and give him a little break to get the operation done.’
While Farrell has been out of action, Racing have been enduring a period of turbulence. They slipped to ninth in the Top 14 after a 21-17 defeat at Montpellier yesterday, their seventh in the opening 12 league games.
Outstanding scrum-half Le Garrec had agreed to move to La Rochelle at the end of the season, while France hooker Camille Chat was one of two players disciplined last week for off-field misconduct.
Lancaster has been the subject of speculation about his position at the club, amid talk of discontent in the squad. However, it is understood that there is no truth in the recent rumour that he has put himself forward for the vacant head coach role at Munster.
What he needs is Farrell to return and galvanise the club’s quest to climb the Top 14 table and make the play-offs.
Since Farrell’s injury, Racing 92 has suffered a torrid time and slipped to ninth in the standings after defeat to Montpellier
For the famous No 10, being fully fit and firing across the Channel could put him in contention to be selected for the Lions tour of Australia — although, ironically, helping Racing into the play-offs may actually hamper his prospects due to fixture clashes. Finn Russell and Marcus Smith are seen as the leading fly-half candidates from the home nations, but Andy Farrell is bound to regard his son as another alternative.
‘Certainly, to play for the Lions is the highest honour and I’m sure he’s hungry to try to achieve that,’ said Lancaster. ‘But he will want to get back and play consistently well for Racing.
‘I coached Johnny Sexton when he was 37, 38 years of age and he was playing Test rugby — in the World Cup. Owen is 33 now, so he’s still got a good few years in him for sure. He’s still in very good physical condition.’
In a few weeks, he will be in the right condition to play again. Racing can’t wait to have their big signing fully operational.
