Farrell’s burst through that world class barrier

OWEN Farrell was part of an England squad that, a year ago, Eddie Jones believed did not have a single world-class player.

While there is still a sense that England’s strength is more as a collective than as a team stacked with stellar individual talents, there has also been a significant shift, with Billy Vunipola, Maro Itoje and George Kruis pushing their Saracens team-mate, Farrell, all the way to the world-class line.

However, it is the 25-year-old Farrell who has been the first to break the tape, and when he takes the field for his 50th cap against Italy at Twickenham this afternoon at inside-centre – even though he is equally accomplished at fly-half – it is worth reflecting on how he has got there, and how much better he could become.

The attribute that has guaranteed a place in the starting line-up since he made his debut in 2012 against Scotland is his goal-kicking, and his metronomic accuracy has made him arguably the best marksman in the international game. In his first 47 Tests he put over 194 out of 242 attempts, and he’s improving all the time. The 66 points he kicked against Australia last summer are a case in point, underpinning England’s 3-0 series win Down Under.

It is that relentless pursuit of improvement that has made Farrell world-class, and if goalkicking is his bedrock accomplishment, he has proved over the last year that he is no one-trick pony.

He has improved everywhere. He has shown a greater desire to attack the line and has worked on his speed to the extent that if he gets the scent of a gap he backs himself to get through it. Jones says he asked him to work on his acceleration and that he has responded “exceptionally well”.

The paeans of praise for his killer pass to Elliot Daly against Wales are also well deserved, and has been attributed to a bit of fine-tuning where he achieves greater control by shifting the grip of his firing hand further back on the ball.

Tackling and tenacity have always been strong suits, but the vendetta mentality and high hits of his early years have been curbed so that now he is uncompromising, but legal.

Jones says Farrell is unique as a player, and his own man: “My first impression was just how driven he was and how much he wanted to get better.

“In his first 50 Tests he will be disappointed that his winning record is less than Jonny Wilkinson. I am going to guarantee that in his next 50 his winning record will be better than Jonny Wilkinson.”

As for Farrell being a future England captain, Jones says it is not an immediate issue, but offered this: “He’s moving in the right direction...he’s faster now than he was in November, he’s got better footwork and his catching and passing are more consistent. Being a great player is about being consistent, and that’s what we’ll see from him going forward.”

As far as endorsements go, that’s world class.