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The 'bossed' impression a 14-year-old Owen Farrell made at Saracens
Owen Farrell has carved a reputation for himself in rugby as one of the sport’s most influential figures, but this wasn’t something that only came to the England and Saracens skipper during his professional playing days. No sooner did he get his feet in the door at the London club as a teenager was he making a lasting first impression on everyone around him.
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The influential Farrell, the 31-year-old who last month won his 100th England cap in the Autumn Nations Series draw with New Zealand, made his Saracens first-team debut in 2008 at the age of just 17, the youngest player at the time to have played professionally at that level in England.
However, it was the first impression that Farrell made some years earlier that was never forgotten by retired back-rower Will Fraser, who was interviewed on the latest Rugby Stories podcast by BT Sport.
The Saracens episode celebrated their 2016 Heineken Champions Cup/English Premiership double, the first in the club’s history, but eleven years earlier, Saracens had just made the high-profile signing of rugby league legend Andy Farrell, not realising that they were essentially getting two greats – the Wigan cross-code convert and his son who would instantly become a star in the making at his dad’s new London club.
“Owen came down when Andy signed for the club,” remembered Fraser about the arrival of the Farrells at Saracens. “So naturally everyone was here training, his son Owen is here. And then I remember the first session Owen did. I was 16 at the time, he was 13 and he came and just bossed the entire session.”
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Fraser might have the age of Farrell slightly out – he had turned 14 in January, two months before his father was signed by Saracens in March 2005. But you get the drift, the kid was hot property from the off. “My dad signed for the club when I was about 13,” added Farrell in the podcast. “We moved down south from Wigan.
“My dad moved down before the family to do the pre-season and I came down with him and joined in a bit of training and so on with the club. Just kicked balls back and did a bit of running with them. I have been down this way since then, a long time. I’ve had to fight to keep my accent.”
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That accent was very much in full flow when Saracens won the first of their three Champions Cup titles in 2016, Farrell kicking seven penalties to guide his club to a 21-9 win over Racing 92 in Lyon. “It makes me sweat even thinking of it now,” quipped Farrell. “I built it up so much that that was the one that made the club massive.
“We always believed we were good enough to put ourselves in a position to have a chance. I guess to win one, especially the first one, is unbelievable. We all piled into one room having an alright time, yeah.”
So grand were those celebrations that Nigel Wray remarked: “The end is marvellous. You think, good lord, we’re champions of Europe. That is quite amazing… I remember waking up the following morning with George Kruis’ medal around my neck. Neither he nor I have any idea whatsoever how it got there but he got it back the next morning at breakfast.”
Fraser was thrilled with his friend Farrell’s decisive contribution. “Pick a player that is going to win you a game, I’m picking Owen every day of the week,” he enthused.
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As for Farrell, leaving Saracens has never been a consideration during his long stay, not even when they were automatically relegated from the Premiership over the salary cap scandal. “The interest was always with Saracens,” he explained.
“As soon as you settle into life here, you find yourself playing in the academy and then playing underage games for them and, then before you know it, you are finishing up schools and ending up being a full-time player here. I can remember all of that and there are a lot of lads here that went on that journey with us that went through all the same things and we’re all best mates really now.
“When you are here you feel like you are cared about, your family is cared about, you feel like you are all part of it. There are not too many people that I think want to leave this place. You want to be a part of what is happening on the field but a big part of that is how the feeling around the place is.”
- For the full episode on the Saracens story check out BT Sport’s new podcast series, Rugby Stories, part of its BT Sport Pods line up of podcasts. Every Monday, Rugby Stories, presented by Craig Doyle, is spotlighting and celebrating English club rugby history. Btsport.com/pods
Comments on RugbyPass
I like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
8 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
8 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
8 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
8 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
3 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to comments