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'Think how aggressive he used to be in tackling and smashing people': Ex-England international claims Farrell isn't the feared player he once was

By Liam Heagney
(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Ex-England international Andy Goode believes Owen Farrell is not the same player he used to be following his Gallagher Premiership red card last September for high tackling Wasps’ Charlie Atkinson, an incident that reignited the already heated debate about the legality of the England skipper tackling style. 

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The way Farrell has used his shoulders when making contact has long been under scrutiny and there was uproar some years ago when he escaped sanction for a 2018 Twickenham collision with South Africa’s Andre Esterhuizen. 

Things imploded for Farrell five months ago when he copped a five-game after he illegally battered into the teenage Atkinson during a league game at Allianz Park. That suspension ruled Farrell out of Saracens’ knockout stage Champions Cup campaign and the club’s remaining fixtures before their Premiership relegation for repeated salary cap breaches.    

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Eddie Jones gives the latest update from the England camp

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Eddie Jones gives the latest update from the England camp

The 29-year-old’s match action since then has consisted of six outings for England and last Saturday’s disappointing effort in the Guinness Six Nations defeat to Scotland came after a 62-day break in between games dating back to the December 6 Nations Cup final versus France.  

That layoff was put forward as an excuse as to why he was so ineffective playing at out-half. However, last Saturday was the fourth time in his six recent England caps that he had started in the No10 shirt as opposed to inside centre. 

Rather than blame out-half rustiness, it has now been suggested that Farrell’s fear of getting his tackling wrong has diluted his physicality in the collision and had a major negative impact on his contribution in last weekend’s shock defeat, prompting calls for him to be dropped for the round two match versus Italy this Saturday,

Goode, the ex-England out-half, told the latest episode of The Rugby Pod: “Farrell, that was his worst game I have even seen him play for England. No leadership. No direction as a 10. Okay, he kicked his goals, but tackling, he soaked up and there is a big issue now for Farrell since he got that red card.

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“You think how aggressive he used to be in tackling and smashing people when he lived on that danger zone around how he belted people. Then he got found out with what should have been a yellow card against South Africa two years ago, whatever it was, and he has not been flying into tackles anymore as hard as he used to. 

“People say he is working on his technique – and he has come out and said it. But you don’t see any difference in his technique at all, you see a difference in how hard he throws his shoulder into contact because he knows he is living on that edge of ‘this is how I tackle. If I get one a couple of inches wrong I’m off again’. 

“That’s why Cam Redpath and Scotland tested him, ‘we’re going to run at Farrell and we’re going to run at his inside shoulder, outside shoulder’ because when he is on form he wants to fly into those tackles and it might lead to a red card or whatever.”

England coach Eddie Jones vehemently backed Farrell during a media appearance on Tuesday, claiming: “He has been a highly consistent, highly successful player for us. Like a number of players on Saturday, he wasn’t at his best. I know there is a bandwagon, but he is an outstanding player and like any outstanding player they can have a game where they are not at their best. Is that a reason to drop the player? I wouldn’t think so.”

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England are due to name on Thursday their matchday 23 to face the Azzurri this weekend. The suspension-free Kyle Sinckler and the fit-again Mako Vunipola were restored to the 28-strong squad at the start of the week in place of last Saturday’s tighthead replacement Harry Williams and the uncapped Tom West. 

Farrell England tackling
Owen Farrell tackles George Turner last Saturday (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)

   

 

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J
Jon 4 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

35 Go to comments
j
john 7 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

30 Go to comments
A
Adrian 9 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

30 Go to comments
T
Trevor 12 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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