England 's summer series-opener against Australia will be Owen Farrell 's first international outing since the autumn, but it's not all smiles for the Saracens star.
In fact, head coach Eddie Jones revealed his playmaker—who will start at inside centre in Perth on Saturday—was "very unhappy" not to be given the captaincy. That honour belongs to Courtney Lawes, who has kept the armband after deputising in the role while Farrell was sidelined during the 2022 Six Nations.
An ankle injury meant Farrell missed the entire tournament, though he's since returned to fitness and featured in Saracens' Premiership final defeat to Leicester Tigers. Harlequins talisman Marcus Smith will start at fly-half against the Wallabies, leaving Farrell to slot in at inside centre.
