[1] Originally from the village of Moamoa in the suburbs of Apia, McFarland primarily played basketball as a child, only later taking up rugby once he entered high school.

[15] In August 2021, McFarland agreed a one-year deal to join Saracens in the English Premiership, ahead of the 2021–22 season.

[17] He gradually established himself as a first-team regular, featuring in 27 matches across all competitions that season, including 18 starts and 6 tries, with his playing time split between blindside flanker and lock.

[23] He made his debut in July, playing in two uncapped international fixtures against the Māori All Blacks,[1] before earning his first test cap against Tonga in the 2023 Rugby World Cup qualifiers.

[25] Although he missed several months of 2023 while recovering from ACL surgery, McFarland returned to the international stage in the final round of the 2023 Pacific Nations Cup.

[28] For his inaugural match as skipper, he led his team to victory over Italy – Samoa's first win against a tier 1 nation for nine years.