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The Owen Farrell reaction to the Parisian crowd regularly booing him
England skipper Owen Farrell has given his take on having numerous fans barracking him at every opportunity on Friday night. It’s been a regular thing at the Rugby World Cup for the out-half to be booed when his name is read out pre-game over the PA system at the same time his picture appears on the stadium screen.
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However, the heckling continued throughout the bronze medal final versus Argentina, a lack of popularity that Farrell tackled when quizzed in the wake of his team’s 26-23 Stade de France win.
Asked if he was shocked by the level of hostility, he said: “No, I am not surprised. It is usually like that here.
“When you play here in the Six Nations they don’t normally cheer you when you are having a shot at goal. It’s different here to England when a kicker is taking a shot. It’s just different, that’s all it is. That’s no problem.”
Victory over the Pumas left England finishing in third place at a 20-team tournament they came into with just one win in six matches prior to the finals and just three wins in nine outings in total under Steve Borthwick.
They will now depart France having won six of their seven games, their only loss coming in the agonising one-point semi-final defeat to South Africa last weekend.
That is quite the upturn in form but Farrell was unsure what needs to happen for England to enjoy a better World Cup cycle heading into Australia 2027 compared to their inconsistencies under previous boss Eddie Jones, who was let go by the RFU last December.
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“It’s a tough question to answer,” he shrugged. “This team is going to be constantly evolving to get better. Steve is going to do a thorough review of what we need to do. I’m sure there will be a plan from the staff, but the players deal with what’s in front of them.
“The players will enjoy this win and go back to their clubs next week. The best thing the players can do for the next World Cup cycle is go and play well for their clubs and I’m sure the boys will do that.”
Farrell went on to pay tribute to Tom Curry, who won his 50th cap on Friday night, while Ben Youngs, the England men’s record caps holder, will now finish up at Test level after his 127th appearance.
“As we said during the week, this team wasn’t lacking in motivation, one of them being Tom’s 50th cap. He is a tremendous player, he leads massively by example.
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“I have heard Steve say before that his output in games is phenomenal. For him to be at 50 caps already, the way he plays the game is outstanding and I can only see him getting better.”
Switching to Youngs, he added: “Anybody who is a men’s England record cap holder has obviously had a big impact on English rugby.
“To be around as long as he has and to stay playing top international rugby for as long as Ben has… there is a lot of work that goes into that.”
“You only get to do that if you work hard and you get along with people and have a big impact. Ben has done that.”
Comments on RugbyPass
What a sad way to end a glittering career. Somebody should tell him to delete his social media accounts and face the consequences of what he's done. Then he should slip away quietly into obscurity. This isn't likely to happen, something tells me he'll be back in The Sun / Daily Mail sooner rather than later.
2 Go to commentsguys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
2 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
228 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
3 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
86 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
30 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
228 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
228 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to comments