'Zen-like state': Owen Farrell's incredibly deep explanation of playing a test match
Owen Farrell will find relief from a week of acclaim over his impending 100th cap for England by losing himself in Saturday’s clash with New Zealand.
Farrell’s acute discomfort with praise will reach a peak the previous evening when Eddie Jones’ squad gather to honour their captain with words and a presentation organised by his Saracens team-mates.
The 31-year-old who grew up dreaming of playing for Wigan, the rugby league team captained by his father Andy, is instead poised to join Jason Leonard and Ben Youngs among England’s Test centurions.
“I’m not too good at listening to stuff about myself. The sooner we get on to the game, the better,” Farrell said.
“You’re not used to hearing people say nice things about you. A lot of it normally goes unsaid. I don’t think it’ll go on for too long.
“If you let it, this week can be a lot. I don’t intend on being like that, I intend on doing my job like the rest of the team.”
For Farrell that job involves becoming completely immersed in Saturday’s all-too rare visit of the All Blacks to Twickenham as England reach the critical phase of their autumn.
The three-time Lions tourist describes the contentment of a Zen-like state where only the 80 minutes on the field have any meaning.
“The best part of the games is how engaging they are, when you’re lost in them, when you’re not thinking,” he said.
“There’s nothing else going on, there’s no worry, there’s no anything. You’re just in it. It’s timeless. Everything is slow, but time goes so quick.
“It feels like everything is slower. It feels like there’s a calmness to it, but it’s still aggressive. They are conflicting things to speak about, but it happens like that.
“It’s like any big day – say your wedding day or something like that – where it goes so quickly. It’s been brilliant but you don’t know what’s almost gone on at times.
“It’s like that but in a really short, intense, 80 minutes, which is probably why it feels so different to anything else.
“That’s what everyone talks about when they say they are in the zone, or the flow of the game. It’s something that people end up chasing a lot.
“If you chase it too hard it doesn’t come even more, so it’s about being able to let go.”
Supporting from the stands will be his mum Colleen, who on this occasion has opted for Twickenham over supporting husband Andy as he prepares Ireland for their clash with Australia on the same day.
“My mum is not going to watch my dad’s game this weekend, she’s coming to ours. That’s the big one. She goes to the biggest game,” Farrell said.
And, despite the heightened attention that will be greeted uneasily, Farrell’s phone will remain on throughout the week as he reflects on a 10-year Test career in which the periods of adversity have been just as valuable as the highlights.
“Normally those people who have been around a long time will message me. I might not send them a big long message back like you probably should, but I will definitely respond in time,” he said.
“I’ll try to take it for what it is – a game of rugby at the weekend. A big game of rugby and that’s what I’m looking at.
“There have been some really good times in my career and some bad times as well. With that, I’m just appreciative of it all.
“A lot of people would sit here in these moments and talk about all the big wins they’ve been involved in and all the great bits. That’s a big bit of it, but it’s just part of it.
“I was probably more reactive in terms of how up-down I was at the start of my career. Whereas now I’m probably able to accept things a bit more.”
Comments on RugbyPass
In the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getitng to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
5 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
6 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
5 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
6 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
54 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
54 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
6 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
54 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
54 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
54 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
18 Go to comments