Farrell set to light the powder keg
OWEN FARRELL might have been rugby’s most over-qualified waterboy, but the England fly-half insists his autumn shift ferrying drinks has left him in top nick to help resurrect Saracens.
Farrell was a frustrated pitch-side observer for two of England’s three autumn Tests – he only played against Australia – as part of a deal between club and country to keep him from burning out.
Mark McCall, the Saracens director of rugby, admitted it had been a hard sell to persuade Farrell he should miss a couple of internationals but the player says he is reaping the benefits ahead of tomorrow’s Champions Cup clash with Clermont.
The 26-year-old has been on rugby’s treadmill since he became the youngest player to play professional rugby in England, aged 17, in 2008.
With one eye on the World Cup in 2019, England head coach Eddie Jones and Saracens forced Farrell to keep his powder dry and the fly-half ❑ ENGLAND winger Semesa Rokoduguni needs shoulder surgery and could miss the Six Nations. The Bath player may be sidelined for two months, ruling him out of the clash in Italy on February 4. is better for it. “I feel good, feel like I’ve got some good work done over the past four or five weeks,” he said. “I probably feel a bit stronger, a bit quicker and things like that. I feel like I’ve added a bit physically, and hopefully that shows.
“I want to play – every player would say the same. But there are people who know better than me about what’s good for you and what’s going to put you in a good position, long term. That was the way they were thinking with it over the past few weeks. It can only be good for everyone.
“I was itching to play rugby. Playing that Australia game got me excited, I wanted to play again. It’s good to be back playing. I’ve only missed two games, mind. It’s not like I’ve been out all year.”
Farrell started Saracens’ 20-19 defeat by Harlequins last Sunday, his first game in club colours since October and the European champions’ fifth defeat on the spin in all competitions.
That is their worst run for a decade but Farrell insisted there was no panic this week at Saracens’ training base in St Albans ahead of the re-run of last season’s Champions Cup final.
He said: “We are not in crisis. Can we do something better? Yes. We are working pretty hard and pretty calmly to sort out what we can do better. It is not a million miles off.
“I don’t think anybody who achieves anything just sails through it. You only have to look at us as a group to know that you have to go through some bad times to go through the good ones. It’s a time where we get to look at ourselves a bit more because we have come off the back of a loss.
“You are probably more open to sorting stuff out on the back of it. We have had some good chats, nothing over the top, just normal.
“These are the things that can set you up for the rest of the year if you get them right. We’re probably done looking back at last week, we’re pouring all our efforts into this. We’re ready to throw everything at this game.”
Saracens have played Clermont eight times in Europe’s top club competition, winning three, including the 28-17 final triumph that gave them their second title.
The French outfit are languishing in ninth place in the Top 14 but will have their juices flowing for this game at Allianz Park and have a potential match-winner in Test scrum-half Morgan Parra. “He’s a key figure for them,” said Farrell. “He controls a game.”
Maro Itoje is out with a broken jaw, so Saracens have promoted Schalk Burger to the No6 berth, while Wallaby lock Will Skelton also starts after impressing off the bench against Harlequins. Full-back Alex Goode will play his 50th Champions Cup game.