Owen Farrell attacks the line during the Premier League Final against Sale Sharks. Photo: Getty Images/David Rogers
No one could watch the month-long Premier League final until the end without believing that Owen Farrell would be a big asset to Steve Borthwick in the upcoming World Cup, where a pretty draw gives England a chance to go far in the tournament.
However, it was equally natural to wonder how Borthwick would try to present this version of Farrell; intense, precise, creative and composed. Here are four questions to weigh.
Time at 10
It may be too obvious a place to start, but Farrell has spent most of his Testing career at center. It will be interesting to return to this after his retirement. Was it a waste of time or the best way to keep England's best players – and the British and Irish Lions, back to 2017 – together on the pitch?
Only in exceptional circumstances does Circumstance force Farrell to switch positions to the Saracens, who often fill their teams for matches with four other potential centers. Over the weekend, for example, they started with Nick Tompkins and Alex Lozowski, with Duncan Taylor and the versatile Elliot Daly on the bench. Josh Hallett and Ollie Hartley will likely play more next season.
The move away from semi-prepared flies hinders Farrell for several reasons. First, his footwork is softened. In the initial exchanges against the sale sharks, he immediately put the Saracens on the front foot with this spiral bomb. Under pressure from Tom Curry, Farrell delivers a punch that flies into the air and allows Max Malins to challenge Joe Carpenter.
Malins hits back, Nick Tompkins collects, and Sale has to defend his 22:
p> Farrell's first-hit final
Had he been in center, Farrell would not have received the initial pass from Ivan van Zyl. And he probably wouldn't be close enough to organize his attackers in this phase moments later. See how deep this three-person pod is, allowing them to pick up speed. Farrell is positioned behind and watching Simon McIntyre in Sale's defensive line:
Remember your break against Northampton in the Premier League Semi-Final?
Darth Farrell
Farrell threatens something like this by accelerating on Hugh Tizard's shoulder before dodging when his teammate makes contact:
Farrell's latest threat
The integrity of the Saracen form coming from deep and posing many dangers to Sale that creates a fast ball in the same way as the strength of a carry. Farrell is partly to blame.
In the next phase, McIntyre should still be targeted. Ben Earl, Jamie George and Nick Izikwe to the left of Farrell and Tompkins to the right:
He pushes flat, steps inside McIntyre and pins Curry before passing to Tompkins. Sell-off recovers well as Earl floods:
Farrell threatens last two
Offloading remains an underrated aspect of Farrell's arsenal. While he will often stand at the first receiver when wearing 12, lying on the fly half will often force him to push flat, giving him more room to use it. Secondly, he seems to be happier and more powerful when defending in a fly-huff. Farrell's striptease on Manu Tuilagi set the tone for a beautiful display of wrestling.
For the past year or so, following France's lead at Twickenham in 2021, international teams have been targeting England's midfield from the outset. Argentina scored last November, skilfully beating center pair Farrell and Tuilagi. Months later, Finn Russell was used as bait by Scotland to lure Farrell out of the system.
A balanced backline with ballplayers and ballast
While this would benefit any midfielder, a balanced backline selection did not always come about. be a top priority for England.
Cohesion certainly helps, but the Saracen rear functions so well because of how the individual parts complement each other. Alex Good, Daly and Max Malins are intuitive playmakers who take the pressure off Farrell.
Good came first in this encounter against Sale, after an Earl shot, and pushed ahead for a Saracen penalty:
Touch Seeker Farrell
Good's nimble clamp by finding Sale's outfield space and allowing Duncan Taylor to shut out Carpenter, leading to Daley's try:
Van Zyl's all-important – and somewhat controversial – finish was spurred by a smart set in which Farrell didn't even touch the ball.
This is a variation on the popular “slide” game with Tompkins. standing at the first receiver. This move has many different variations, with the vast majority of them moving the ball in the same direction as the linebacker fly arcing from behind. Normally the blind wing moved in the same direction.
Here, however, Malins is positioned inside Tompkins. Curry can't fill the gap to the left of George Ford…
…and the results of the attempt:
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Tompkins and Alex Lozovsky formed a difficult combination of centers for the Saracens. Van Zyl is a brilliant scrimmage midfielder with a sniping threat that helps Farrell and is another big part of the Saracens' success this season.
England can't pick Van Zyl or Tompkins and are unlikely to turn to Goode. If they don't remember Lozowski, Dan Kelly's midfield and Ollie Lawrence, the latter in his favorite outside center role, might be worth a try. Although inexperienced, Kelly promises to be a skilled and versatile operator.
As for the auxiliary players with the ball, it is difficult here. Although Freddie Steward has extremely valuable qualities, he is not as assertive full-back as Good. This could prompt Steve Borthwick to pick one of Malin or Daly on the flank. Can Malins even surpass Steward at cornerback?
It's a searing irony that the desire for multiple playmakers forced Farrell to abandon the fly half and move on to partnerships with Ford and Marcus Smith. Whether or not one of these combinations is used, even as an option in play, pressure on the ball alone will not get England into the later stages of the World Cup. Against Testa's stronger defense, they will have to move the ball and use chances to score.
Direction and attitude
Mark McCall has consistently stressed that the Saracens have changed their mindset, not their style, and Richard Wigglesworth must give a sense of urgency. when he arrives to coordinate Borthwick's attack before the start of the World Cup.
In club service, Farrell is part of a team that has a license to go all-in on the ball and move to the side when inside their 22s if there is space. It seemed telling that Martin Gleason, former England attacking manager, described Farrell as “definitely non-conservative, unless he is forced to do so.”
English players have been told to come to training camp in good shape because fitness cannot be the only goal. They have a couple of months to hone their skills and turn into an effective attacking team. The Saracens have shown what is possible if you have more conviction.
Strong work on the line
One misconception associated with Farrell is that he can only do well in flies with a dominant pack. The Saracens endured the end of the season without Billy Vunipola, Andy Christie and Theo McFarland. Also absent from Sale were Ben Curry and Dane du Preez, but they hardly overshadowed the front over the weekend. Indeed, the superiority of their fight kept them in the competition. In Tuilaggi and Jean-Luc du Preza they had two of the most muscular carries on the pitch.
However, on both sides of the ball, the Saracens were shaping the game. Maro Itoye performed a brilliant operation: Theo Dan replaced Jamie George and showed an excellent game. Ishiekwe and Itohe's sell-off shot interceptions stopped the sell-off at vital moments.
An impressive and devastating defensive line-out is especially handy when you have an attacking midfielder capable of pinning down opponents. Farrell's shot didn't count as 50:22 because the ball was passed back to the Saracen half…
Farrell's touch count
…but it put Sale in an awkward position where they had to kick and surrender the attacking platform.
Bortwick is the line-out guru who enlisted the support of George Cruise. As he knows, when a team can bring together different aspects of their game, they will bring out the best in their midfielder. England and Farrell are no different.
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