Owen Farrell is expected to be overlooked by Steve Borthwick for England’s autumn internationals campaign despite injury headaches at inside-centre. It is understood that Farrell will not be named in a training squad on Sunday for next week’s mini camp and as a result Borthwick is expected to omit the 34-year-old former captain when he finalises his squad on 26 October.
The Gloucester centre Seb Atkinson, who started England’s two summer victories over Argentina, is sidelined through injury and likely to miss all four autumn Tests, against Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and Argentina, but as things stand that is not going to prompt Borthwick to turn to Farrell, who has not appeared for his country since the 2023 World Cup.
At fly-half, Borthwick has a wealth of options. George Ford is the incumbent after some fine performances against the Pumas, while Fin Smith and Marcus Smith returned from the victorious British & Irish Lions tour of Australia and impressed for Northampton and Harlequins respectively last weekend. All three were announced as having enhanced England contracts in August.
Farrell has appeared at inside-centre for Saracens this season – he was also used in midfield by the Lions – and though he has impressed in glimpses, a return to the England fold this autumn is not on the cards unless a glut of further injuries hit Borthwick’s squad. Farrell has been coy over his ambitions to add to his 112 England caps, having made himself unavailable in the aftermath of the 2023 World Cup campaign in which he was booed by his own supporters, but has kept the door open.
“[I’m] still in the same place,” he said this month. “I want to make sure I’m loving what I’m doing here. I want to make the most out of that and see where we’re at. I’m very wary of talking about it, you’ve got to play well as well. But I’m determined to make the most out of my time here and see where that takes me.”
For now, Farrell will focus on Saracens but it is believed Borthwick does not consider the door to be shut either. While Farrell will be 36 by the 2027 World Cup, the manner in which he added his experience as a late call-up for the Lions over the summer will not be lost on the head coach, who does not have a wealth of authoritative voices in his squad.
With Atkinson injured, meanwhile, Borthwick has Fraser Dingwall, Henry Slade, Ollie Lawrence, Luke Northmore, Max Ojomoh and Oscar Beard as his centre options while Tommy Freeman has spoken of his desire to appear more often in midfield.
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Lawrence’s return to fitness is a welcome boost and he has impressed for Bath this season but the majority of Borthwick’s midfield options, Dingwall notwithstanding, prefer the No 13 jersey.
