Owen Farrell’s British & Irish Lions dreams may have ended in Lyon after he was forced off just 18 minutes into Racing 92’s Challenge Cup semi-final defeat on Sunday.
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Playing at inside centre and captaining the side, the 112-cap England star suffered a head injury and didn’t return, missing a golden chance to impress Lions boss—and father—Andy Farrell.
Rugby writer Chris Foy summed it up:
“Really feel that for Andy Farrell to have had any merit-based justification to pick son Owen in Lions squad, he needed a vintage, statement game today v Lyon. Instead, off before end of 1st quarter after head knock. Surely, that must be the end of that element of 10 debate…”
With the squad named Thursday, May 8, and Farrell ineligible for England, his shot at a fourth Lions tour looks to be over—especially after Racing’s limp 29-15 loss, where they barely landed a punch.
5 players who flopped in their final Lions audition
With the Champions and Challenge Cup semi-finals serving as the last big shop window before Andy Farrell starts sketching out his British & Irish Lions depth chart, a few hopefuls picked the worst possible time to go missing in action. Here are five contenders who flopped when it mattered most…
Sam Prendergast (Leinster/Ireland) – Lamb to the slaughter
Hailed by many as the next big thing in Irish rugby, Prendergast’s audition for Farrell turned into a horror show. Within eight minutes, he’d been caught napping for a turnover and then served up a gift-wrapped try for Northampton with a poor kick.
The Saints back row swarmed him all game, and while he did land a beauty of a pass to send Tommy O’Brien over, he was then embarrassingly burned on the outside by teenager Henry Pollock. Missed vital kicks too — including one that could’ve tied the game in the dying minutes. Harsh lesson on the big stage.
Hugo Keenan (Leinster/Ireland) – Mr. Reliable unravels
Normally so dependable at the back, Keenan chose the worst time to have a rare off-day. While he showed flashes going forward, it was his defence that let him down.
His fumble under a high ball handed Tommy Freeman a third try on a silver platter. For a man pencilled in for a Lions shirt, this was an uncharacteristic — and untimely — dip.
Joe McCarthy (Leinster/Ireland) – Big man, big letdown
The hype train around McCarthy has been building all season, but he failed to get out of first gear here.
He lacked his usual bite in the contact area and was far too passive in defence, slipping off tackles and looking off the pace. If he wanted to throw his name into the Lions mix, this did the opposite.
Darcy Graham (Edinburgh/Scotland) – Starved and stifled
Always electric, always dangerous — but this just wasn’t his day. Graham was constantly hunting for work but saw precious little quality ball.
His defensive work was solid, notably a try-saving tackle on Will Muir, but this was billed as a chance to dazzle. Sadly, he never got the chance to ignite.
Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh/Scotland) – Fire without the fury
No shortage of aggression from the Edinburgh skipper — he was in the thick of multiple scraps, including a meaty confrontation with Sam Underhill.
But fire alone won’t get you a Lions jersey. Ritchie couldn’t influence the breakdown battle and never truly stamped his authority on the contest. For someone once seen as a frontrunner, his stock is sliding.
