Owen Farrell may not have broken into the British & Irish Lions Test team just yet, but the young England star’s attitude epitomises the spirit of the 2013 squad.
Farrell is currently running at a 95% success rate with his goalkicking and on Tuesday night helped to steer the Lions to a 35-0 win over the Melbourne Rebels. He’ll be back among the replacements again for Saturday’s second Test in Melbourne and will be ready to answer any call.
“Every time you get the chance you have got to try and take it. You have got to prove yourself every time you step out on the field,” said Farrell.
“You can’t do it one week and not the next – that’s called inconsistent. You’ve got to put best foot forward to serve the team.
“You’ve always got to be better. People play against each other and get used to playing against each other, figure each other out that bit more. If you are not getting better you are going in the wrong direction.
“So, there is only one direction we want to go. To even contemplate complacency after one win in a three Test series would be ridiculous so we are preparing as well as we can do.”
Farrell’s goalkicking has gone a little bit under the radar on tour because of the huge success of Leigh Halfpenny, but he has only missed one of his 19 attempts at goal on tour to date. His work on the training field alongside Halfpenny, Johnny Sexton and Stuart Hogg, and under the guidance of kicking coach Neil Jenkins, has paid rich dividends.
“I feel I’ve got good rhythm at the moment. It has been tough on the practice side of things going from game to game and not getting into a routine, but I’ve been smart with my practice, using the warm-up of games,” said Farrell.
“We’ve got good kickers on tour. It’s tough because we are not all training at the same time, although we are egging each other on. Before we came out we had a few competitions.
“Leigh has only missed two kicks all tour. There have been a lot of high-scoring games, so to miss only two is an unbelievable experience. I think we just both enjoy kicking.
“It’s something that I love doing, love the responsibility of doing and that’s why you practice so hard. You can’t speak highly enough of Leigh and the effort he puts into it – and it shows.”
If he gets the chance to kick in the pressure-cooker atmosphere of the second Test in Melbourne this weekend Farrell will be ready for the challenge.
"I’ve loved every minute of the Lions experience. From meeting new people to getting to know these brilliant players around you, travelling and seeing new places, it is such a special thing,” said Farrell.
“It has brought more out of me. You are playing with some fantastic players and you are able to express yourself because they all know their jobs and do it brilliant. It’s easy to go out there and show what you can do.
“The next few days are going to be big. No matter whether you’re involved or not it’s massive. To be a part of this, a team like this and a game such as this weekend, with the opportunity to go 2-0, is an unbelievable achievement for any team down here and especially for a team that has come together only recently.
“As a replacement you have to prepare yourself as if you would for any other game. You could be on there after a minute. You have to be relaxed and not too caught up in it, so that can do your job when you do get on.”
