When Owen Farrell threw his full support behind Tom Curry at the Rugby World Cup in France, he offered the first clue that he might throw in his cards.
The nonplussed Farrell found all the right words to stick up for Curry, who had been abused on social media for making allegations of racism against South Africa’s Bongi Mbonambi.
The 32-year-old was about to captain England in the third-place play-off against Argentina, and while he was relishing the Parisian adventure, rugby’s dark side was taking its toll.
No one who heard Farrell speak on October 25, just two days out from the Bronze Final, would have had the slightest inkling he would withdraw himself from selection for the following Six Nations.
But no one in that room at France’s Institute of Sport on the capital’s outskirts was left in any doubt that Farrell was as furious as he was puzzled by the state of social media.
“Just because you are saying things on your phone or behind a computer screen doesn’t make it acceptable,” said Farrell. “It seems to be going more this way, and it’s not acceptable.
“I don’t think it’s for the players to come up with an answer to that. But it doesn’t make me look fondly on engaging with people outside of those close to me.”
So, when Saracens on Wednesday revealed that Farrell will miss next year’s Six Nations in order to “prioritise his and his family’s well-being”, thoughts turned immediately to rugby’s murkier machinations.
His father, Ireland head coach Andy, had lambasted the “disgusting circus” surrounding his son’s high-tackle suspension saga during the August warm-up matches.
England defence coach Kevin Sinfield urged rugby supporters not to vilify Farrell in the way David Beckham had been turned into a hate figure for being sent off against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup.
England skipper Farrell initially avoided a ban after his red card for a high tackle on Taine Basham in the 19-17 World Cup warm-up win over Wales at Twickenham on August 19.
He was later suspended for four matches, after World Rugby won an appeal against the initial ruling that cleared the Saracens stalwart. Farrell copped untold abuse on social media that would continue unabated across the rest of the summer and right through the World Cup in France.
Wherever England went at the World Cup, Farrell was booed by spectators. Some of the boo boys were disgruntled French fans, while others were rogue England supporters using the captain as a focal point for frustrations over the side’s prosaic attacking style.
Others were seemingly happy to be swept along in what they may well have considered harmless, pantomime jeering. Farrell has loved being England captain, and representing his country will always remain one of his proudest rugby achievements.
The Saracens talisman hates the negative attention, however. He always has, and perhaps he always will. When Farrell took a shot at the keyboard warriors amid his defence of Curry, he was also talking candidly for the first time about his feelings on his own treatment.
"Farrell has loved being England captain, but he hates the negative attention"
The England skipper took the rare step of asking to add to an answer from head coach Steve Borthwick in that press conference, so animated was he about the wider issue.
The Farrells as a family have clearly had a gutful of the abuse on social media, and who can blame them, given its frequent bin-fire state. When dad Andy hit out at the circus around his son, he purposely dropped his usually high guard on all family matters.
“I’d probably get his mother up here to do an interview with you and you’ll see the human side of the bulls*** that’s happening,” he said in August.
“Or maybe get his wife to write a book on it, because then you’ll see the impact that it’s having, not just on the professional player, but the families and the human side that goes with it.”
Both Andy and Owen Farrell are big enough, tough enough, thick-skinned enough and even suitably self-effacing to laugh off the trolls. But both father and son are fiercely protective of their families.
And now Owen has stepped back, albeit temporarily, from the job he loves in order to protect his loved ones. He has yet again shown the qualities that make him England and Saracens’ most trusted leader.
But the abuse that has come his way is as pointless and unjustified as it is damaging. For the good of the wider Farrell family, and for rugby, let us hope that Saracens’ greatest son will be back as England’s No10 before too long.
