British and Irish Lions: Elliot Daly Silenced the Doubters; Now It’s Time for Owen Farrell

When the British and Irish Lions squad was named in May, some people were surprised to hear Elliot Daly’s name.

The full-back has been a staple of the England set-up for many years. Additionally, he is an experienced tourist with the Lions.

Yet, with the amount of talent Andy Farrell had to choose from, the Englishman didn’t make many people’s lists.

Daly silenced the doubters with his performances, but just as the applause grew louder, injury brought an untimely pause.

Elliot Daly

A player who has made a name for himself through his versatility. Daly came through the Wasps academy and moved to Saracens in 2019.

With his talent, Daly became a prominent figure in a team competing at the top level domestically and in Europe.

The 32-year-old offers a great deal—a classy player who can perform across the backline. Whether it’s at full-back, wing, or centre, Daly can make a difference on the pitch. This not only benefits his club but also his country.

His senior breakthrough came in the 2016 Six Nations: his boot slotted a long-range penalty against South Africa, and soon after, he crossed the whitewash for his first try versus Fiji.

To date, Daly has played over 50,000 minutes, averaging 68.84 per game. He has tallied 131 points, 21 of these being tries for his country.

Over the years, he has captured three Six Nations titles, one of them being a Grand Slam in 2016.

Furthermore, he reached the final of the 2019 World Cup. Looking at his performances at Twickenham, it’s no surprise that he became such a great Lion.

A Lions legend and looking great Down Under

Daly has quietly become a legend in the red of the Lions. Named for Lions tours in 2017, 2021, and 2025, he was selected for 11 straight squads since 2021 and even started on the wing in Tests against New Zealand. As stated before, he has proven all his critics wrong.

Daly put in fantastic displays against the Western Force and Queensland Reds. The disappointment was palpable when he walked off the field holding his arm.

A broken forearm has ruled him out of the tour. Daly looked to be a standout performer on the tour so far, and it would have been fascinating to see if he could have started another Test.

Andy Farrell replaced him with another seasoned international: his son Owen.

Owen Farrell joins the party

Last week, it was announced that Owen Farrell will join the tour. This decision has been met with mixed reviews.

Of course, you could have brought in the likes of George Ford, Tom Jordan, or Blair Murray. Yet, nobody can bring the experience that Farrell can—a fixture of the Lions, who knows what it takes to win Test matches.

His leadership will be invaluable to a squad that is yet to fire on all cylinders. Also, the team has a decent amount of depth at full-back.

Blair Kinghorn, Hugo Keenan, and Marcus Smith will fight it out for the number 15 jersey. Farrell will bring depth to the fly-half and inside centre positions.

Daly has proven his critics wrong; now it’s Farrell’s turn.

By Pete Ryan

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