When George Ford (left) and Owen Farrell played together for England, the latter was often pushed to the center. Photo: Getty Images/Steve Bardens
The weekend was a throwback to the days when two young half-centuries flaunted their stuff on their way to the top of English rugby. So much has been written and said about Owen Farrell and George Ford that just watching them play simply, without the claustrophobic restrictions of international rugby, was delightful, but with one huge caveat that we'll talk about later.
Farrell, 31, is sharply divided; very few are neutral towards him or his performances. He is a great football player and the most tenacious of the rivals. Almost from the first whistle until the last match against the Northampton Saints, he led the game with a smart combination of militancy, insight and accuracy. So much so that one had to wonder why anyone considers him an international center when he is so clearly ranked 10th.
In many ways, Farrell's playing was modeled after another great flyswatter, Johnny Sexton. Initially an excellent game planner, accurate kicker and driver of men. You always wondered if he should go beyond this prescribed game, if he would have the necessary talent. Sexton answered this question — yes.
On Saturday, like Sexton, you saw a more complete package: Farrell's tryouts, complete with straight line play and a very efficient distributor. It made you wonder: what if Eddie Jones had let him play with that freedom and focused on finding a stable central partnership outside of him?
On the plate 🍽
Sean Maitland got two tries as the @Saracens booked their place in the #GallagherPremFinal 🏉
Watch this weekend's semi-final highlights tonight @ITVRugby 📺#GallagherPrem pic.twitter.com/wDx8opWPYN
— Rugby Premier League (@premrugby) May 14, 2023
On Sunday, Ford, Farrell's former high school teammate, put in the best record to help Sale reach the Premier League final in two weeks. Not the time for his attacking stratagem, it was time to dig in and organize the play in those areas of the pitch that were holding Leicester at bay.
Ford, 30, did it with aplomb. Rugby sales director Alex Sanderson could not have been more responsive in his praise of Ford, saying that he is surrounded by an area of calm. He was a bit of a rugby version of David Gower who seemed to have a bit more time than the other players.
Sale leads ☝️@TomRoebuck2 crosses @SaleSharksRugby from a corner when @George_Fordy converts the sideline and the home team wins 🦈
Watch @btsportrugby right now 📺 #GallagherPrem | #SALvLEI pic.twitter.com/iM98o0lmxt
— Rugby Premier League (@premrugby) May 14, 2023
I've always harbored a secret respect for Sale — unfashionable, unapologetic, and just plain spectacular. They work in the toughest sporting conditions, fighting for every young player and fan, surrounded by four major Premier League football teams and several Championship clubs.
In the final, Farrell and Ford will meet head-to-head. against each other, and while it's a tempting prospect, the truth is that the player who is given the ball to play with their front foot is likely to come out on top.
However, it will be interesting to see how both try to manage the game within its context. There's no doubt Sale doesn't have the cup final experience that the Saracens have, but their stubbornness could get them far ahead, provided they don't deflate like Northampton on a slip.
The concept of two playmakers is overrated.
As historians begin to describe this period of rugby, they may be able to identify a fault line that has long hindered the development of England. It's not Farrell's or Ford's fault, but the talent of both players was such that under former England managers Stuart Lancaster and Jones it was considered necessary to have them both on the same team. This resulted in selectors for years not forcing themselves to choose between the two, insisting that Ford play at linebacker and Farrell at center.
This was nowhere near as productive as claimed . This is because the concept of two playmakers is overrated and every time you can point out when it worked, you can point out many more times when it didn't.
Moreover, when Farrell played at number 12, he did the job, but it shouldn't be the measure. Evaluation should consider what is lost when he is not playing at number 10, and what someone else, a natural center, could do if he was given time to develop a long-term partnership, and whether these things combined would be more effective.< /p>
That said, it will be a pleasure to watch two masters of their craft play for the biggest club prize in English rugby.
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