>> Gallagher: The real value of Owen Farrell
If you want to truly understand the value of Owen Farrell to this England team rewind the last eight minutes of yesterday’s win against South Africa, a triumph that had elements of the Siege of Mafeking or should that be Rourke’s Drift. Certainly if they are handing out any medals Farrell is at the head of the queue.
When Farrell is on the pitch and baring his teeth, as England supporters have appreciated for a while, there is always hope and now he is operating in his natural position at ten he is even more involved.
First came the 73rd minute penalty from wide out on the left, a brute of a kick in any circumstances but doubly so as it had the feel of a possible match winner.
Go on admit it. Up in the stands, or in your crowded clubhouse or back home stretched out in front of the box, you had mentally upgraded the score to 12-11 England even before he started his trademark routine with those staring trance-like eyes picking out a bullseye right in the middle of the distance posts. Never in doubt.
I don’t know about you but I also had a bit of a deja vu flashback when he was banging that one over. RWC 2015 and the last minute of England’s game against Wales in the Pool of Death with three points needed for a draw. A difficult penalty is awarded wide out on the right. What to do?
England back then didn’t quite realise what a kicking machine Farrell is when it comes to the big ones. Sure he misses the occasional relatively easy kick for Saracens when they are frankly cruising it or perhaps early in a game before he has fully sussed out the wind and elements but when it counts? Never.
So instead England famously went to the corner and messed up. England 2015 were not a great side – or rather they weren’t playing well – but the trick in sport is often to muddle through and limit the damage until the sporting gods look kindly on you again. A draw that night, as events turned out, might well have seen England go through.
A few moments later came another key Farrell intervention, getting into the heavy traffic when South Africa embarked on a dangerous rumble and stripping the ball away for an invaluable turn over. Larceny of the highest order except in in this case it was entirely legal which takes some doing in these days when defenders seem to get pinged for simply being on the pitch.
And then came the tackle on Andre Estehuizen. For me it was ok even if it registered 5.2 on the Richter scale. It was a massive high speed collison between two players intent on doing their job. In the eyes of law though I don’t actually think it was any different to 15-20 or so challenges you see in any top match these days as big units trundle it up around the fringes to be met head on by similar big units.
The only difference in fact – not law – is the velocities involved with Eisterhuizen moving at pace and Farrell also moving forward to meet him with huge intent. Farrell tried to use his right arm but the intensity of the collision prevented it coming around and lesser refs than Angus Gardner might have over-reacted to that but Farrell’s case was also different to others.
Eisterhuizen did not dip or duck at the last minute bringing his head or neck into play so it was two players standing tall in collision. If you strip it down it wasn’t a dangerous tackle, just a massive one.
So credit to Gardner, not hitherto one of my favourite officials, for refusing to act in an hysterical and knee jerk fashion. He took his time, saw the collision for what it was and made the right call. Much of the huge physicality in rugby is still entirely legal and hopefully he will not get into trouble with World Rugby for using his common sense.
And he was being consistent. Earlier in the game Farrell has taken a massive marginally late hit – in fact he had deliberately delayed his pass to draw in the tackler as he release an inside runner.
The wipeout shook every bone in his body but there was no whinging, nor do I recall see whinging after the Farrell tackle. With players appealing more and more to get follow professionals into trouble that was rather reassuring.
With Farrell on board England can still achieve great things in the next year. He sets the tone and another big plus yesterday was how some of the less experienced players took their cue.
Mark Wilson knows how to graft and play in adversity and he covered himself in glory yesterday; indeed he was the official MOM. In so doing he struck another blow for those unsung players in the Premiership whose value some are slow to appreciate.
Ditto Ben Moon, who has been doing his stuff for Exeter since Championship days. Moon made a big impact off the bench, looking as at home in white at Twickenham as he did lining up for the ‘old’ Chiefs at Doncaster, Plymouth or Cornish Pirates. Harry Williams, once of Nottingham, is another. They share Farrell’s diehard DNA and the more of that England can get into their squad the better.