FARRELL’S DEADLY BOOT ENSURES SARRIES’ WIN
CARDIFF .................... 14 SAR ACENS ................. 26
OWEN FARRELL came to the rescue of Saracens’ eight-month unbeaten record – then complained his all-conquering team were “too nice”. England’s captain kicked 16 points and produced a moment of sheer magic to turn a half-time deficit into a 22nd consecutive match unbeaten.
But despite the Londoners moving four points clear at the top of their Champions Cup pool, Farrell was far from happy. “The first half, we were too nice – it’s not what we are about,” he fumed. “We were more like our real selves in the second but at half-time we were frustrated. We hadn’t put a performance together.”
Farrell’s theme was picked up by boss Mark McCall, who revealed a festering dissatisfaction within the ranks of the English champions.
“We’ve got a group that is very picky with incredibly high standards,” he said. “They are very ambitious.
“Today was about the result and getting it done, but overall there is a discontent with some of what we are serving up. We’re doing okay but we want to be better than okay. There is more in us.”
Hardly music to the ears of the rest of Europe, that, given Sarries have won 21 and drawn one of their matches since snapping a sevengame losing streak on April 1.
For the second week in a row they trailed Blues at half-time – secondquarter tries by Rey Lee-Lo and Dan Fish delighting a near capacity crowd.
The match turned on a piece of sublime skill from Farrell seconds before the visitors lost Will Skelton to the sin-bin on the hour.
Trapped on his own try-line with four defenders bearing down on him, Farrell somehow offloaded out of the back of his hand and Alex Goode completed the great escape.
“Three of us looked at each other and said, ‘Oh my God, what skill!’ said Cardiff boss John Mulvihill. “He was off balance and if he was going to be turned over we would have won that ball – and he decides to flick the ball.
“Players of that quality practise that stuff before training. But to come out and do that in a game just shows what a great player he is.”