The rule Mark McCall insisted must be kept when quizzed about Farrell
Mark McCall has refused to embrace the bombshell speculation that Owen Farrell is “very close” to committing to a two-year deal to join Racing 92 rather than agree on a Saracens extension for the 2024/25 season.
The sabbatical-taking England skipper captained Saracens in their 10-19 Gallagher Premiership loss at Leicester on Saturday, the day after media reports emerged in France claiming that Farrell was set to quit the English league for a stint in the Top 14 under the Paris club that now have Stuart Lancaster – the 2012-2015 England coach – at the helm.
The loss of Farrell would be an earthquake-like blow for Saracens but, after his team’s Mattioli Woods Welford Road loss, McCall attempted to play down the situation by avoiding comment on it.
Initially asked how Farrell played in a match where an intercepted pass by him resulted in a first-half Leicester try, McCall said: “I thought he went well. Like he always did, he led from the front.”
But what about all the transfer speculation since Friday afternoon that he was quitting for the Top 14? “He is very good at putting distractions to one side and just doing his best for the team and we saw that again today.”
Owen Farrell is in the Leicester house with Saracens the day after it was reported in France that he was “very close” to a two-year deal with Racing 92. #LEIvSAR #GallagherPrem #TOP14 pic.twitter.com/EwuzagLtWB
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 6, 2024
How have his Saracens teammates reacted to the rumoured exit? “You’d have to ask them,” continued McCall, adding with his next reply: “Genuinely, it’s just not fair for anyone to talk about something that, like I said before the game, is speculation. It’s just not fair to anyone. Until there is something to talk about we are not going to talk about it.”
What the Saracens boss did go on to insist was that the current RFU rule which makes any player based outside the Premiership ineligible for England Test selection must remain in situ to protect the status of the English top-flight.
“We all want the Premiership to be as strong a competition as it can be, which is why it is essential that the rule that you can only play for England if you play in the Premiership needs to stay.
“Top 14 is a strong league at the moment, there’s no doubt about it, and it’s getting away. Hopefully, someone can do something about that.
“The (Premiership) games are brilliant, that is why I don’t really want to talk too negatively about the question you have just asked me (about the Top 14) because I think the Premiership is strong and entertaining at the moment. It’s tight and some teams are doing well in Europe so there is much to be positive I think.”
McCall later added: “Having Owen Farrell in your team is something everybody would want.” However, he wrapped up the weekend’s hot topic by claiming, “No, I am not going to talk about it” when asked if Farell had had a conversation with him about possibly leaving.
Comments on RugbyPass
Wow, there is a lot of “could have” and “ should have” in this waist of time dribble. I love the deportation in this story to search for a glimpse at a silver lining. Here are the facts, NZ was a badly coached and undisciplined shadow of their former glory. They never took the lead in a game they were never going to win.
156 Go to commentsGOTTA MAKE ‘THE GEORGE’ HAPPEN!!!! That’s a great idea! A trans Tasman midget battle on ANZAC Day. I don’t think the ABs Wallabies game should be a one off winner takes all though, just the first match with the other two later in the year with the RC. Reason being, no one will ever shut up about how aussies couldn’t win it when it was a 3 match series.
1 Go to comments@Ben smith. Thats knock out rugby. So honeslty who cares?
156 Go to commentsIt will interesting to know which Irish players said that…
1 Go to commentsNaaaww boys will be boys! Now run along ya wee scamp! Don’t let us catch you at again😏
1 Go to commentsGreat to have Ethan Blackadder back in the Crusaders in the last few weeks. One of the best all round loose forwards around. He played so well last week against the Rebels. Fantastic attitude Ethan has and his comments are spot on.
2 Go to commentsThe author is 100% right. The Springboks know that they don't have near the natural attraction, mana, skill and mystic the All Blacks have. So, Chasing the sun 1 & 2 was concocted to overblow the Boks image on the back of a corruptly obtained “win". It's marketing ploy to force the Boks delusion as the World's Best. I guess World Rugby is also not to be believed when it came out with an apology about how the final was officiated. And if the 2023 final such a superb game by the Boks, then the Boks crying about Referee Bryce Lawrence for decades is also deserves a laugh. Chase the sun and get burned like a moth. A very well written literary piece that tore the Boks and Chasing the sun farce to shreds. 🖤All Blacks🏉
156 Go to commentsI’d say France was far more hard done by in the 2011 final than the All Blacks in this game. Joubert simply refused to call a penalty against the All Blacks in the last quarter even directing an All Black to drop a ball he picked up in an offside position rather than penalizing him. This article also totally discounts the efforts of PSTD. Ask Jordie how well he played. Or the backup flank who played hooker for the entire game. Siya was also a brilliant tackle by Richie from scoring a blinder. Pollard was also fantastic. Look I don’t like the boks style but the only thing more questionable than the content of this article is the timing of it. Get over it already
156 Go to commentsDad Marty was also a handy rugby player for Linwood back in the day. Great bloke. Sensational softball career.
2 Go to commentsWhat ifs are always dangerous. If you look at the game before Sam cane got sent of SA was dominating. You could make the argument the going down to 14 men rallied the troops and made them have to play to win which is always dangerous.
156 Go to commentsOmg… you are bruised And battered Benny. Stop crying … the scoreboard speaks. What a pathetic lover you are.. 🤣🤣🤣
156 Go to commentsPacific Lions, cry me a river
156 Go to commentsThis is the single worst piece of journalism I have ever seen since your last one. As a neutral, who really states that there should be an asterisk next to a win? You are an utter embarrassment to real AB fans, journalism and that joke of a house which pays you for this nonsense. Get a life, Ben.
156 Go to commentsGuys. Cancel the World Cup champions after this analysis. It changes everything. Ben knows. We’ll have to unengrave the Bokke off the trophy and hand it to the ABs, now that I’ve been enlightened about this illegitimate win. This needs to be done. Now!
156 Go to commentsBen is right here though, Springboks were woefully poor with the advantage they had throughout this game. The France match was heroic because that was an even contest this match had it taken place in Rugby Championship would have been an easy win for NZ. If anything this match should tell the Bok coaches that a lot of this team should be changed. They beat this same NZ team by record margin with the same circumstances but with a different core. They bring back the tried and tested guys and they nearly botch this game.
156 Go to commentsI knew who wrote this article from the first few words in the headline…lol. The red card actually did the ABs a favour. It galvanized them, only then did they step up a gear. Before that there was zero momentum.
156 Go to commentsFirstly the foul on Bongi was a planned move just like the NZ master plan with Bryce Lawrence you kiwis are filthy fux perhaps try to play a cleaner game next time I doubt that’s possible tho but don’t worry world rugby is on yr side they trying to take away all the BOKS strengths to help all you weakling as Jeremy Clarkson would say LA OO ZA ERR..🤣
156 Go to commentsAbsolutely spot on Ben. I certainly wouldn't gloat over a win like that. Frustrating as it is it's done and dusted and history will forever show the result.
156 Go to commentsHo hum.
156 Go to commentsNo question they were the better team. But that is the beauty of sport isn’t it!
156 Go to comments