“Never write off champions” – George Gregan: Wallabies legend won’t rule out Owen Farrell England return

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Wallabies legend George Gregan believes that former England captain Owen Farrell has “nothing to prove” upon the international stage, yet the former scrum half does not rule out the Saracen for a Test match return during the Autumn Nations Series.

Farrell ended his England career after the 2023 Rugby World Cup, with his last match for Steve Borthwick’s side to date being the Bronze Final triumph over Argentina. Whilst the England squad returned from France, Farrell, along with the likes of exiled England stars Jack Willis, Joe Marchant, David Ribbans and (formerly) Henry Arundell, remained in the land of Les Bleus as he penned a blockbuster deal with Racing.

However, Farrell’s tenure in the Top 14 was only a brief one, as following a rough ride of a season in Paris that was heavily hindered by injury and back-room disgruntlement, Farrell returned to Saracens in June. This return was entwined with a late call-up to the British & Irish Lions tour of Australia, as the 33-year-old embarked upon a fourth excursion with the fabled ‘Sea of Red’.

Farrell replaced his Saracens teammate Elliot Daly for a late addition to the tour, as his father, and Lions head coach Andy Farrell unleashed the experienced England stalwart for four matches. Farrell proved his ability to still hang at Test match level, as he ran out in the back-line for the second and third clashes withe the Wallabies in Melbourne and Sydney.

George Gregan was certainly impressed by Farrell’s contributions in his homeland, and whilst the Sarries man was left out of Borthwick’s initial Autumn squad, the legendary Wallaby does not rule out a late arrival akin to Farrell’s delayed departure to Australia. Speaking to OLBG, Gregain said;

“England have got three good players. But it’s about how England wants to play. And who do they think provides the best impact coming off the bench? I know they’ve used George Ford to close games. Or do you bring on someone who adds another bit of energy? It’s a good problem to have for them.

“Owen Farrell is definitely centre material. He can play. It’s just a matter of staying healthy. He has got nothing to prove, he knows how to play at that level. You should never write off champions.”

England host Australia at the Allianz Stadium today, with the opening round of the Autumn Nations Series kicking off at 15:10 in South West London. At the heart of Gregan’s pre-match build-up is Wallabies centre Joseph Sua’ali’i, as the cross-code footballer returns to the stadium in which he made his rugby union Test debut this time last year. Gregan compared Sua’ali’i to an array of former rugby league stars that made the switch to union, ahead of the Waratah’s blockbuster return to HQ.

“England did really well with Jason Robinson. And Andy Farrell was pretty good. If he had switched maybe two years earlier, it could have been a very different story. We [Wallabies] have a lot of quality athletes in Australia who can jump between the two codes. We had success prior to Loti Tuquiri. Mat Rogers, Wendell Sailor, and Andrew Walker, A lot of them have been back three players. And we must not forget Israel Folau.

“Izzy was incredible. He’s probably still one of the highest try scorers for the Wallabies. You saw what he could do in the air, what he could do with his feet, with his legs. He was developing his passing game. They just bring presence. Having played with them, they just brought an intensity and an edge to your squad in terms of how you train and prepare. They have no fear of anyone. The bigger the occasion, the better they play. That’s how they’re wired.”

Looking ahead to kick-off, Gregan expects a high-scoring outcome at the home of English Rugby, as the Wallabies prepare for another barn-burner at the Allianz Stadium. The same fixture from last year’s Autumn Nations Series witnessed a breathless 42-37 Australia win, as wing Max Jogensen bagged a last minute try to snatch a dramatic win from Steve Borthwick’s side.

“I think it’s going to be a really high-quality game.” Gregan said. “Obviously, the English team wouldn’t have played as this group since the Six Nations. But the team [England] did well to win 2-0 in Argentina when players were with the Lions. That says a lot about the depth of the players in England. I think it’ll be tight.

“From our perspective what I am liking is the growth and development in our set piece. We’ve always been pretty good at line outs. Simon Cron’s done a great job there. And he’s been a bit of an unsung hero. He’s gone about his work quietly, which he likes to do. But they’ve really fronted up and been really solid.

There’ll always be chat around that because history shows that there have been some bad days in the office with Wallaby teams but that shouldn’t affect this group. It can be a high-scoring game. I think it will be pretty similar to last year. I think there’ll be a lot of tries scored.”