What Andy Farrell has said about being linked with the England head coach job
02/13/2025 03:41 PM
Andy Farrell has made it clear—he has no interest in taking over England, despite being linked as a potential replacement for Steve Borthwick.
Find your local Greene King and settle in for the 2025 Six Nations!
“I’m loving life”
The Ireland head coach has been listed among the favourites to succeed Borthwick, who is under growing pressure following England's mixed results. But Farrell has quickly shut down the speculation, insisting he's fully committed to his current role.
And for now, that role is on hold—Farrell is taking a hiatus from leading Ireland to coach the British & Irish Lions for their tour of Australia this summer.
Unfinished business with Ireland
Since stepping up as Ireland's head coach in 2019, Farrell has transformed the team into a dominant force. His tenure has seen:
- Ireland reach number one in the world rankings
- A Triple Crown victory
- A historic series win in New Zealand (2022)
- A Grand Slam title (2023)
His achievements haven't gone unnoticed, and England fans hoping for a sensational return will be disappointed.
“I've committed—and that's it”
Farrell recently signed a long-term contract to remain with Ireland until the end of the 2027 Rugby World Cup. And he's not looking back.
“When you make a decision, you commit and that’s it,” Farrell said.
“I’m very lucky that it wasn’t just me that was committing—it was my wife and kids as well.
“Because whether you think it’s a close flight or connected or whatever to the UK, it’s still living abroad. It is a big move, you know, kids out of school.
"That type of commitment is something that I'll never forget from my family… I'm forever grateful."
Farrell remains locked in on his mission with Ireland—once his Lions duties are over.
EDITORS PICKS:
- Another Wales coach has been removed from his position
- Leicester Tigers coach has been stood down from his duties
- 2003 Rugby World Cup winner Lawrence Dallaglio confirms divorce after 20 years
- England winger makes surprise return after expressing desire to play for Wales
- Ex-Scotland coach calls for "immature" national anthem to be axed
How England will likely line-up against Scotland, major changes expected
All eyes will turn to Scotland from Monday, with England preparing to end their run of consecutive defeats to Gregor Townsend’s side. The Calcutta Cup has begun to collect dust after being sat in the Scottish trophy cabinet for the past four years, with England adamant to get the iconic piece of silverware back down to the south side of the border next Saturday. All the while, the Scots eye up a historic fifth win in a row against their old Anglo enemies, and send Borthwick’s men back to the drawing board ‘tae think again’.
There has been some high profile arrivals at the England training centre this past week, with plenty of hope behind the potential returns for Manny Feyi-Waboso, Alex Dombrandt and Jack van Poortvleit. We’ve gone early in our prediction for the incoming Test match, as we try and decipher who Borthwick will pick next Thursday, when he officially announces the squad to face Scotland.
PREDICTED SQUAD: ENGLAND TEAM TO FACE SCOTLAND – 2025 GUINNESS MEN’S SIX NATIONS
BACK THREE
15. Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
14. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
11. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs)
There is an abundance of excitement around the potential return of Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, as the Exeter Chiefs man has been recalled to the squad for a day of injury rehabilitation. Feyi-Waboso has not featured for either England of the Chiefs since December, as the flyer sustained a dislocated shoulder in a Premiership clash with Sale Sharks.
However, the 22-year-old seems to be on the mend faster than first expected, as Feyi-Waboso decided to forgo a shoulder operation that would have ruled him out for the entirety of the 2025 Six Nations. The Exeter University medicine scholar certainly knows his anatomy, and backs himself to be fully fit for a late push for some Six Nations minutes. We will find out in the next few days whether Manny gets the go ahead for the Scotland training week, with Ollie Sleightholme expected to start in his absence.
We’ve predicted the 15 and 14 shirts to remain unchanged from the side that beat France, with Marcus Smith and Tommy Freeman returning to the starting XV. Whilst Smith had an underwhelming afternoon from the kicking tee, the Harlequin lit up the Allianz with some devastating kick returns deep from the back-field. Freeman was also excellent in the win over Les Bleus, with his stand-out moment being a top-rate try, as he collaborated with his Saints teammate Fin Smith, to collect and ground a kick to the corner.
CENTRES
13. Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
12. Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby)
The tried and test midfield is once again our predicted England partnership, with Henry Slade and Ollie Lawrence exuding an impressive combination against Fabien Galthie’s side. The latest 28-man training squad for this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday’s training week has only solidified the pairing, as Fraser Dingwall was not included in the squad, despite being the main outside contender to a starting centre spot.
The potential for Feyi-Waboso’s return would also strengthen Henry Slade’s claim to the outside centre shirt, which would see the midfielders swap jerseys from last weekend’s win. Slade would be able to link up into the wide channels with his Exeter Chiefs teammate, and Steve Borthwick has previously expressed his desire for synergy in his squad to be strengthen at club level. Just look at the assortment of Northampton options in the back-line, or the solid Saracens contingency in the forward pack to reinforce this idea.
CONTINUES ON PAGE 2
The post What Andy Farrell has said about being linked with the England head coach job appeared first on Ruck.
