Gatland expects 'mentally tough' Farrell to bounce back

British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland believes England flyhalf Owen Farrell can recover from his recent dip in form, ahead of the summer tour of Australia.

Gatland expects 'mentally tough' Farrell to bounce back

British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland believes England flyhalf Owen Farrell can recover from his recent dip in form, ahead of the summer tour of Australia.

The 21-year-old has shipped criticism for his performances in two high-profile semi-finals, which saw Saracens bow out of the Heineken Cup and Premiership play-offs.

It took Mark McCall’s men fifty minutes to open their account against Northampton Saints in the Premiership semi, while Farrell was outplayed by Johnny Wilkinson in the Heineken Cup showdown.

Having included just two outside-halves in his squad, Gatland needs both Farrell and Jonathan Sexton to be in top form as they head for Australia, but the New Zealander is not worried by Farrell’s recent struggles.

“It has been tough for Owen but he tends to respond well to adversity and come back stronger," Gatland told BBC Sport.

"One of the reasons we like him is because he is mentally tough."

"He will react well to any criticism and I am sure he will do well on the tour."

With Sexton still involved on two fronts for Leinster, who are bidding for a PRO12 and Challenge Cup double, Farrell is expected to wear the number 10 jersey for the opening game of the Tour against the Barbarians on June 1 in Hong Kong.

The lack of preparation time afforded to the touring squad has met criticism from former Lions coach Ian McGeechan who described the schedule as “short-sighted and unfair,” and Gatland admitted it is an obstacle.

"It is going to be challenging and tough and it's not the easiest thing in terms of preparation but the last thing I want to do is start complaining about it now," he said.

"I hope going forward that if we are going to take the Lions seriously, they need to have adequate preparation time to make a good fist of it on tour.”

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