Farrell’s tackle technique is asking for trouble

CHARLIE Hodgson made a telling observation after Owen Farrell was sin binned for a high tackle on Chris Ashton during Saracens 24-18 defeat by Sale at the AJ Bell stadium on Friday night.

Hodgson, commenting as a BT Sport pundit, said that Farrell needed to improve “his tackling technique” or risk costing England dearly in the Six Nations.

The former Sale, Saracens and England flyhalf ’s remark is spot on. Farrell’s controversial tackles on South Africa’s Andre Esterhuizen and Australia’s Isack Rodda during the Autumn series will make him a marked man with referees. Farrell’s response has to be to train himself now to tackle below the ribs – even if it means changing deeply ingrained habits – or risk leaving England in the lurch with 14 men.

Farrell and Billy Vunipola also received warnings from RFU referee Matthew Carley during the Sale game that their aggressive questioning of decisions would not be tolerated. However, rather than giving a tutorial Carley should have marched them back ten metres, or even 20, for dissent in the first instance, and then binned Farrell as captain for not heeding the warning.

Farrell’s card has been marked, and unless he wants to put his side at risk – and detonate his captaincy credentials – he must tone it down.

He could take some tips from Saracens team-mate Brad Barritt’s captaincy style, which comes from ‘the how to make friends and influence people’ manual, but in no way diminishes his fierce and legitimate tackling.