Owen Farrell has been dropped to the bench by Racing 92 for their Challenge Cup quarter-final against Connacht.
Racing instead will start Dan Lancaster, son of the club’s former head coach Stuart, at fly-half for their game in Galway on Saturday evening.
Farrell started last weekend’s last-16 victory over Perpignan, making way after 46 minutes to be replaced by Nolann Le Garrec. But it will be Lancaster, a surprise signing from Ealing Trailfinders last summer, starting at No 10 alongside Le Garrec this weekend.
It has been a testing first season for Farrell in France, with Midi Olympique naming him as their number one transfer flop of the season back in January given Racing’s struggles at the bottom of the table.
“The moment the former Saracens playmaker set foot in the Top 14, we were convinced that Racing would have the face of a French champion this year. But what happened? Disappointment being always proportional to admiration, Farrell’s more-than-neutral performances quickly plunged us into an abyss of dismay.”
Farrell’s first season has not been helped by a groin injury which forced him to miss two-and-a-half months’ worth of action for his new side.
The 33-year-old returned to play in matches against the Stormers and Castres in January, before an abductor injury kept him out for another two months. As a result he has featured in only 13 matches, with Lancaster playing in 20 games so far and named in Midi Olympique’s team of the week following a win over Clermont. Few saw that coming, with Sam James, signed from Sale Sharks, another English player arguably making a bigger impact for Racing than Farrell.
As you might expect given his drive for success, Farrell was a constant presence throughout his time on the sidelines, as revealed by Racing scrum-half Antoine Gibert.
“He is known for being very aggressive, very competitive with great leadership and he brings all of that on a daily basis, even when he is not playing. He attended every match, every video session to help the team as much as possible, and it’s good to have him back,” Gibert said.
And Farrell’s return has coincided with Racing belatedly picking up some overdue form, after unexpectedly ending up in a relegation battle in the Top 14. They have won four of their last five matches in all competitions under new head coach Patrice Collazo, moving seven points clear of the relegation places.
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