England and Saracens will not put any pressure on Owen Farrell over his long-term Test future.
Farrell will miss the Six Nations by taking a break from England duty to protect his and his family’s mental health.
The 112-cap playmaker’s decision was fully respected by both England head coach Steve Borthwick and Saracens’ director of rugby Mark McCall.
Neither club nor country tried to talk Farrell out of his break, and no one will try to rush the 32-year-old back to action, either.
“If he wants to go back after a break and it’s something that he enjoys and loves, then good for him,” said McCall.
“If he doesn’t want to in six, even eight months, then we’d support that, too.
“Certainly, I didn’t try to persuade him to change his decision, and I’m pretty sure that Steve Borthwick didn’t, either.”
Farrell will continue to play for and captain Saracens, but missing the Six Nations should allow for a complete break from rugby in February and March.
The England captain has stepped back due to online abuse and what McCall termed a long-running narrative from the “mainstream media”.
McCall pledged that Saracens will redouble their pastoral care for Farrell and his family, with the talisman having long been a lightning rod for criticism from some quarters.
The Northern Irishman believes Farrell’s decision must lead to change in rugby.
“This is probably a wake-up call for all concerned, because there’s no way a player and a person like Owen should have to face what he has faced over a long period of time,” said McCall.
“For me, this began in the mainstream media — not from everybody — and the narrative that was created around Owen. And then there was a pile-on on social media.
“There are some in the media industry who need to look at themselves.
“Down the years he has been made to feel that he has done something much worse than he has done.”
