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'It could be the perfect signing for them to win the Champions Cup'
Owen Farrell could be the final piece in the puzzle for Racing 92 as they search for an elusive Investec Champions Cup title should the England fly-half move to Paris next season, Andy Goode believes.
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Speaking on The Rugby Pod this week following reports that emerged from France last week saying the 112-cap England international is close to signing with the Parisian club, Goode said that Farrell has the pedigree in Europe to get Racing over the line after years of falling short.
Dan Carter lost in the final in 2016, Pat Lambie lost in the final in 2018 and Finn Russell lost in the final in 2020, but the three time winner (who beat Racing in 2016), alongside some world class talent, could be the player who finally brings the Champions Cup trophy to La Defense Arena.
“Racing have a deep, deep history of unbelievable fly-halves that have worn that No10 jersey for them,” Goode said. “You think about the names- Dan Carter, Johnny Sexton, Juan Martin Hernandez, Finn Russell. Obviously they have gone after other players and they’ve ended up possibly with Owen Farrell which is great for him and his family.
“It’s a glamour club. Stuart Lancaster has gone there and there’s a lot of history with Stuart Lancaster as a coach and Owen Farrell and how well they got on.
“Ultimately, the big one for Racing is that they haven’t won the Champions Cup. They have not won the Champions Cup. That’s the big thing. They haven’t got the big trophy. Jacky Lorenzetti the owner has pumped millions and millions and millions of Euros into the club. Yes, they’ve won the Bouclier de Brennus, the Top 14 in France, but they haven’t won the big one, the Investec Champions Cup.
“Someone like Owen Farrell, with all his history as a player in that competition, his attitude around ‘it’s must-win for everything’, how that drives him and that drives standards within his team, it could be the perfect signing for them to win the Champions Cup from next year. The profile of the players in that squad, Siya Kolisi, Gael Fickou in the centres, they have world class players in there.”
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Of course, the big-spending Parisians have not been afraid to recruit some world class stars in recent years, none more so that double World Cup winning South Africa captain Siya Kolisi, who arrived after the lifting the Webb Ellis Cup.
Then again, even with the South African’s services this season, Racing lost their opening two matches of the Champions Cup campaign, and face a tricky trip to high-flyers Bath this weekend knowing their hopes of progressing to the knockout stages depend on a win. Otherwise, they will have to wait until next season, with Farrell potentially at the helm, to eventually be crowned European champions.
Comments on RugbyPass
Big empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
34 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
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