Owen Farrell has been heralded as one of the all-time greats by his Saracens and England teammate Jamie George, who says he cannot understand the criticism that comes the fly-half’s way.
Farrell was the standout performer in Saracens’ comprehensive victory against Exeter on Sunday and seems revitalised after a prolonged spell on the sidelines as a result of two ankle operations. Indeed, Farrell was making only his fourth appearance for Saracens since October but is showing the form that escaped him for large periods of the previous campaign as well as the British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa last summer.
His dip was such that his place as the England captain has been questioned and Eddie Jones has offered Farrell no guarantees of a return to the squad for the summer tour of Australia. George, however, is in no doubt about the 30-year-old’s ability and importance to Saracens, who qualified for the playoffs in their first season back in the top flight thanks to the bonus-point win against Exeter.
“He is one of the best players that has ever played the game,” George said. “Some of the criticism he gets, I can never get my head around. Come down to Saracens every week and watch him play, he is the very reason why we have won as much as we have. Can you imagine playing with him?
“People hear it on the ref mic or whatever but imagine being next to that when it is happening. It is incredible. Do you know how hard it is to talk whilst you are that tired? I talk a lot but there is a cessation in the game when I think: ‘I can’t do it.’ He does it for 80 minutes, non-stop, relentlessly. It is all of the stuff people don’t see.”
Given England managed only two wins during the Six Nations, Farrell’s absence was keenly felt and if he continues in his current vein of form it seems inconceivable he will not tour Australia. George revealed that while England suffered in his absence, Farrell was still playing an important role at Saracens.
“He turned into our head coach, he is that good,” George said. “He is so, so important to this team and he offers so much on and off the field. With his voice, with his actions, in the week the way he prepares, he shows people how it is done. I can’t speak highly enough of him. He is the best player I have worked with in every facet of the game.”
