Owen Farrell remains a master of composure capable of thriving in the Test match arena, according to Ronan O’Gara.

Farrell made his first appearance on the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, impressing in a 30-minute cameo from the bench in the tourists’ statement 48-0 victory over an AUNZ Invitational XV.

The Saracens and England fly-half was a shock call up to the squad when head coach Andy Farrell turned to his son to replace Elliot Daly after his tour-ending arm fracture.

Farrell marked his Lions return with a performance O’Gara labelled “exceptional” that leaves him right in the equation a week out from the first Test against the Wallabies in Brisbane.

‘Farrell makes other players look good’

“One of the standouts was Owen Farrell, he added to the team because he did the simple things well,” three-time Lions fly-half O’Gara told Sky Sports.

“He looked like he had all the time in the world. Moving the ball quickly, he makes other players look good. That was a massive positive for the Lions, having a competitor like Farrell with them.

“He was exceptional. People underestimate his composure. So much of what happens in a Test match is about your capacity to be composed and Farrell is a master at that.

“He looked fit, he looked hungry. It will be a completely different Test next week but it’s these moments where the Test animals get excited, so watch out for him, he could take his game to another level.”

‘Huge step up against Wallabies’

Former Lions fly-half Dan Biggar, who questioned Farrell’s initial call up to the Lions squad, believed the 33-year-old showcased his ability as a world-class operator against AUNZ XV but, with the Wallabies posing a step up in quality, he offered a cautionary note.

“I didn’t question Farrell’s ability in the squad, I questioned the timing of it, replacing Elliot Daly who plays 15, 11 and 13, with a guy who plays 10 and 12,” Biggar said.

“He looked really good tonight, Owen. He moved the ball really well. He’s a world-class operator.

“If you pick him on a 6-2 bench, you are light in the back three if you get an injury, especially with no Garry Ringrose there to cover the wing. You rely on a bit of luck whenever you go with a 6-2 or 7-1 split.

“Clearly next Saturday is going to be a huge step up compared to tonight, where The Lions were disciplined, accurate made the AUNZ team look quite ordinary considering they have some really good players.”

‘I’m putting the ball in his hands’

As we await Andy Farrell’s team announcement for the first Test, two-time British and Irish Lion Anthony Watson was left in no doubt his former team-mate could still cut in the most pressurised situations.

“Owen has the exact same impact,” Watson said. “If there is a goal kick to win it with 10 minutes to go, I don’t care how much he’s kicked at goal over the last four weeks, I’m putting the ball in his hands.”

Sky Sports will exclusively show the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, with all three Tests against the Wallabies and six warm-up matches to be shown exclusively live.