Stripping Owen Farrell of the England captaincy and giving it to Courtney Lawes was a big decision by Eddie Jones this summer. However, the choice has not prevented Farrell from being one of the biggest leaders in the team.
Last Saturday, England headed into half-time with a slim one point advantage over the Wallabies – knowing that the next 40 minutes would determine whether they headed home with a series win or loss.
The England side eventually went on to grind out a narrow victory which meant they left Australia with a 2-1 series victory.
Since then, footage has been shared of the changing room at half-time, highlighting the leadership qualities of Farrell and head coach Eddie Jones.
The video starts with Jones asking how much each player was willing to give for his team-mates and reiterated the importance of the following half of rugby.
Then came Farrell. Loud, aggressive, passionate, Owen Farrell’s speech was nothing short of stirring. He screamed at his fellow players, telling them to finish the Australian team as soon as possible.
The half-time team talks that helped inspire the lads to victory in Australia 🎥@O2 | #WearTheRose pic.twitter.com/2PjPgbvGBf
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) July 20, 2022
Neither Eddie Jones or Farrell himself has shied away from the Saracens’ man disappointment at no longer being captain. However, it is clear that he has not let this affect him being one of the best leaders in the game.
England rugby also shared footage of new captain Courtney Lawes speaking to his players before the game.
𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝘀 👊@Courtney_Lawes leads by example!#AUSvENG pic.twitter.com/uJJV03sxg0
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) July 22, 2022
In a different style of leadership to Farrell, Lawes is calm and assertive but no less effective.
It is clear that England’s dressing room is full of characters that others can lean on and be inspired by – a very important asset heading into a world cup
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