RUGBY CONFIDENTIAL: Lions coach Andy Farrell to lift the lid on secretive relationship with son Owen, the latest on Worcester Warriors' rebuild and Bristol's bumper crowd
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- A new autobiography will document Andy Farrell's life as a player and coach, with his selection or non-selection of Owen set to provide further intrigue
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There will be one additional job in Andy Farrell’s in-tray on this summer’s Lions tour of Australia – after the head coach agreed to publish an autobiography upon the team’s return.
Farrell has already started working on the early sections of the book, entitled ‘Being Myself’, due to hit the shelves before he returns to his role with Ireland for the autumn series.
The book will document his life as a player and a coach and sales will no doubt be influenced by the touring team’s success in their three-Test series against the Wallabies.
One of the most fascinating chapters should be the selection – or non-selection - of his son, Owen, the fly-half, who remains in contention for the tour despite moving to France.
The publishers, Sandycove, have promised to go into depth about their relationship, adding an additional layer of intrigue to next month’s squad announcement.
The synopsis for Farrell’s book reads: ‘Andy Farrell is not just a brilliant rugby man: he is a fascinating human being.
‘His autobiography brings us back to his childhood in Wigan, when he made a meteoric ascent to the highest levels of rugby league; and to the extraordinary moment when, aged 15, he and his girlfriend Colleen – now his wife – learned they were going to have a baby.
‘He writes about his ambitious attempt to remake himself as a rugby union player in his thirties. He writes about his remarkable relationship with his first child, Owen – who has gone on to become a legend of English rugby – and about the importance of family in his life.’
The No 10 dilemma remains one of the hottest talking points, with none of the main contenders – Finn Russell, Sam Prendergast, Fin Smith, George Ford, Marcus Smith – nailing down the position with their performances in the Six Nations.
Farrell Jr has had a disappointing first campaign with Racing 92 but the club’s lowly league position of 11th means he is unlikely to face any scheduling clashes with the Top 14 play-offs.
Farrell Sr spent the last two rounds of the Champions Cup watching games in Ireland, with Leinster’s players expected to make up the core of the team.
On Saturday night, he travelled to Connacht with his wife, Colleen, to watch Owen in action but it was not clear if it was a family visit or a scouting mission with wider implications.
The narrative will become clearer in the coming weeks, with the team set to travel to Portugal for a warm-weather training camp in June, before their farewell match in Dublin.
As well as being documented through Farrell’s book, the Lions are also expected to publish a behind-the-scenes series about the tour on Rugby Pass.
Rugby world toasts McIlroy's Masters success
Rory McIlroy has been flooded with congratulatory messages from rugby players since his thrilling victory at the Masters on Sunday night.
The golfer is a loyal Ulster fan and travelled to Paris in 2023 to watch Ireland’s World Cup pool stage victory over South Africa.
He has held golfing clinics at Ireland’s training camps but his interest spans further afield, having enjoyed a round of golf in New Zealand last December with All Blacks star Beauden Barrett.
Speaking to Mail Sport in November, Barrett said: ‘We can learn a lot from each other, mental skills, being present for your next task. If you imagine a game of golf going on for five or six hours, walking the course, they only really have to be “on” from the time they grab their club and commit to their shot.
'They can’t sustain that intensity so they have to switch on and off all the time. We’re similar with the skills of goal-kicking or throwing a lineout.’
Worcester Warriors' rebuild continues
Wales scrum-half Lloyd Williams is the latest player to hold talks with Worcester as the club scramble to assemble a squad for their return to the Championship next season.
The 35-year-old, who has 40 caps, is currently playing for second tier champions Ealing Trailfinders but will become a free agent this summer.
Worcester are also in advanced discussions to sign winger Josh Bassett and flanker Matt Kvesic.
Lancaster in talks over Australia role
Former England head coach Stuart Lancaster remains in discussions to take on a coaching role with the Wallabies.
Rugby Australia are in talks to appoint Queensland Reds boss Les Kiss to the main position when Joe Schmidt steps away after the Rugby Championship in October.
However, Lancaster could potentially work alongside Kiss, raising prospects of a similar coaching dynamic he held with Leo Cullen at Leinster.
Bristol's bumper crowd for crunch Premiership clash
Bristol are on course for a 50,000-strong crowd for their top-of-the-table Premiership clash with fellow high-flyers Bath at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on May 10.
That figure is set to dwarf the attendance of Welsh rugby’s Easter weekend Judgement Day fixtures - which see Ospreys face Cardiff and Dragons take on Scarlets - at the same venue this weekend.
Pat Lam’s Bears are taking a league game away from Ashton Gate and over the Severn Bridge to try and attract a larger audience.
Second-place Bristol are 10 points behind Bath with five matches of the regular season remaining.
