Owen Farrell has revealed he could make himself available for England once again \u2014 despite admitting the social media \u201cpoison\u201d that drove him to step back from Test rugby last year is still very real.<\/p>\n
The former England skipper has already told head coach Steve Borthwick that he only wants to be picked on form and is determined to hit the ground running after rejoining Saracens from an injury-hit stint at Racing 92.<\/p>\n
Join the\u00a0RUCK\u2019s WhatsApp community here<\/a>\u00a0and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.<\/p>\n Speaking ahead of the British & Irish Lions clash with a First Nations & Pasifika XV at Marvel Stadium on Tuesday, Farrell said he is feeling re-energised and inspired by the longevity of Ireland great Johnny Sexton.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m determined to enjoy what I\u2019m doing and love every minute of however long that I\u2019ve got left,\u201d said Farrell, who will start at 12 for the Lions.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not old yet. Johnny played forever and I\u2019m obviously a half-back as well. There\u2019s loads left in us and I\u2019m just determined to enjoy it. I\u2019ve come back to make the most of what I am doing. We\u2019ll see what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n Now back at Saracens for a fourth stint with the British & Irish Lions \u2014 first selected by his father, Andy, back in 2013 \u2014 Farrell is relishing the challenge but admits the online reaction to his selection hasn\u2019t always been easy to handle.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s times where people can say this, that and the other and it just goes over your head. And there\u2019s times where you\u2019re not in the best place of all time and you\u2019re almost waiting for something to set you off.<\/p>\n \u201cI understand that it\u2019s different now. I understand that times are different \u2026 sometimes [social media] catches fire and just takes a life of its own. It goes wherever it goes and there\u2019s momentum behind it. But I don\u2019t always understand it, no.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you go and knock on someone\u2019s door and ask them their opinion of how you played at the weekend, you wouldn\u2019t really listen to their answer. Both [good and bad reactions on social media] are a poison. That\u2019s not to say it\u2019s all bad but the things that should matter to me and to us as players are the people that matter to us.\u201d<\/p>\n Farrell says he now tunes out the noise, focusing only on the opinions that truly count.<\/p>\n \u201cThe people I think we should listen to are proper rugby people. Your mates \u2026 they\u2019ll give you a real answer. If you\u2019re in a good place yourself then you can deal with it. There\u2019s obviously a lot of external factors that can creep in but ultimately it\u2019s up to me how I am. Making sure I\u2019m looking after myself, making sure I\u2019m giving myself a break at times.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not someone who needs revving up too much. It\u2019s normally the other way, of coming back down and relaxing. So having some perspective and making sure I look after myself in that way will, I think, lead to me being more myself.\u201d<\/p>\n Farrell\u2019s future with England remains uncertain \u2014 but with Saracens and the Lions, he\u2019s determined to make his case impossible to ignore.<\/p>\n EDITORS PICKS:<\/p>\n On this day 10 years ago, England snatched the Rugby World Cup on Aussie soil. Let\u2019s dive into what those legends got up to since lifting the Webb Ellis.<\/p>\n 15. Josh Lewsey \u2013 The Everest Attempting Ex-Soldier<\/p>\n Full-back Lewsey was a British Army officer before turning pro rugby after just two years of service. When he hung up his boots in 2009, whispers floated he might return to the forces. Instead, he aimed higher\u2014literally\u2014attempting Everest, but a faulty oxygen apparatus stopped him 500 feet from the summit. Afterward, he jumped into finance at PwC and CitiGroup. But the rugby bug bit again, and in 2023 he returned as acting CEO of the Cornish Pirates before becoming Welsh Rugby Union\u2019s Head of Rugby. Fun fact: He\u2019s half Welsh, so this return was kind of homecoming.<\/p>\n 14. Jason Robinson \u2013 Wing Wizard & Sheep Farmer?<\/p>\n Robinson, cross-code star and scorer of England\u2019s sole try in the final, retired from rugby union in 2007 but never quite stepped off the pitch scene. He coached for the Rugby Football League and Sale Sharks, dabbled in sheep farming (yes, seriously), and even returned briefly to playing with a local team. These days he\u2019s focused on his own high-performance sports apparel line, \u2018Proskins.\u2019 Versatile on and off the field!<\/p>\n 13. Will Greenwood \u2013 Inside Centre with a Media Makeover<\/p>\n Retiring in 2006, Greenwood has arguably enjoyed a second career in the media spotlight. He writes columns, analyses games on TV, appears in adverts, and is a popular figure on the after-dinner circuit. But his biggest claim to fame now? Hosting\u00a0School of Hard Knocks\u00a0on Sky Sports, a show tackling social inclusion by using rugby to inspire youth in deprived areas.<\/p>\n 12. Mike Tindall \u2013 Royalty, Rugby, and Rowdiness<\/p>\n Tindall\u2019s best known to the general public as Princess Zara Phillips\u2019 husband, but he\u2019s still very much in the game, playing for Gloucester and coaching youngsters. His England career ended post-2011 World Cup\u2014marred by controversy after being fined \u00a315,000 for throwing a dwarf in a bar (a bizarre incident dubbed \u2018dwarf-gate\u2019). He now co-hosts the very successful The Good, The Bad and The Rugby Podcast.<\/p>\n 11. Ben Cohen \u2013 The 6\u20192\u201d Gay Icon & Dancing Star<\/p>\n Retired in 2023, Cohen had already founded the\u00a0Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation\u00a0to fight bullying, focusing heavily on combating homophobic abuse. His advocacy has earned him \u2018Ally of the Year\u2019 from gay magazine\u00a0Attitude\u2014pretty impressive for a 6\u20192\u201d ex-winger! He\u2019s also a fan favorite on\u00a0Strictly Come Dancing, proving his moves aren\u2019t limited to the rugby pitch.<\/p>\n CONTINUES ON PAGE 2<\/a><\/p>\n Like this:<\/p>\n Like Loading…<\/p>\n