Owen Farrell deserves no blame

Owen Farrell leads England to Twickenham before their World Cup warm-up match against Wales. Credit: Getty Images/Dan Mullan

The abuse Owen Farrell has received since being sent off for a high tackle on Thane Basham on Saturday has been laughable. Whether you agree or disagree with the disciplinary committee's decision to cancel the red card, Owen deserves no blame for his actions.

Yes, it looked like a red card to all of us — and I was involved in my fair share of these incidents on both sides. In fact, my professional career ended after I received a red card under similar circumstances while playing for Leicester last season (I wish I had the same lawyer who won Owen's case!)

High tackles happen in a fraction of a second, often instinctively or due to a loss of concentration. In the case of Owen, sometimes such a moment can be caused by disappointment. When something goes wrong on the field, Owen is the kind of leader who wants to fix things themselves. This creates individual pressure and then sometimes a bug or an instant rush of blood. But Owen is not a malicious player.

Owen Farrell (left) smiles while fighting Chris Ashton during Saracen training in 2014 . Photo: Getty Images/David Rogers

Like me, he belongs to a generation in which such tackles were common and accepted, especially given our ties to rugby league. Since he went to tackle school in January when he was last sent off for high tackle, I feel like he made a conscious effort to improve this area of ​​his game.

His physique is unique in the fly half. . He is not an ordinary 10. He is a freak. There are very few tens in world rugby that you wouldn't target in the first phase. With Owen, you wouldn't even come close to him. You must find another weakness. The back row can go through his channel, and he will smoke them.

This physical form sets the tone. It shifts momentum. I'll pick a couple of recent examples. About 12 minutes into the Premier League semi-final against Northampton, he lines up Rory Hutchinson, hits him and flips the ball. After that, the Saracens physically beat the Saints.

Then, in the finale of Max Malins' attempt, he purposefully pulls Mana Tuilagi out of action, knowing that Max is sitting on his shoulder. Few halves of flies—or anyone else at all—will intentionally stand in the way of Manu Tuilagi, gaining momentum. It is because of this courage that players follow Owen.

In my book, he is the greatest English player of modern times. You only have to look at how many winner medals he has amassed — three Six Nations titles, six Premier League titles and three European Cup titles. He won the Lions series in Australia and drew in New Zealand. And it continues to be the heart of these Saracen and English teams.

Owen Farrell (left) and Chris Ashton celebrate victory over New Zealand in 2012 in one of England's great performances. Photo: Getty Images/David Rogers. Cup. He ticked all the other boxes. Owen and Johnny are very similar. They are both tough goalkeepers who can fight back with all their might.

As game managers, they are completely different. Johnny was the quieter ten, he acted almost like a French fly, half letting his scrum rule everything while he sat back and let the game unfold in front of him. Owen, on the other hand, is front and center, wants the ball all the time, wants to put people in the right places.

And yet there seems to be a huge difference between how the English public perceives him and Johnny. There is respect, but not that level of love. I really don't know why that is.

Johnny has the World Cup, but then you look at the Irish hugging and protecting Johnny Sexton, who I would put Owen on par with in terms of achievement. Sexton is considered Ireland's greatest player. In England, people take on Owen's case the moment he fails in some way. A vivid example of this is the incident on Saturday. student from the district. Owen does not lead social networks. He's not going to go for Graham Norton. He just doesn't see rugby in that light. Rugby is his passion, and everything else related to this sport is secondary to him.

I live around the corner from him and he will stop in front of anyone on the street. He's such a nice guy, but sometimes people confuse that with the competitive animal they see on the field.

You don't see Owen's softer side in interviews, but he has a very dry sense of humor. If you're wearing something stupid, he'll let you know. If you expose yourself, it's like a red rag to a bull.

It's hard to appreciate Owen's impact on the team if you haven't been in the locker room with him. Owen's main difference is that he never has a day off. Never. I've never met another player who plays it every single day, and I've been to many places.

Farrell (right) giving instructions to Chris Ashton during the Six Nations match against Wales in 2012. Photo: Getty Images/Shaun Botterill

Every day he wants to get better, wants to get better and learn more about the opponent and about himself. If you're around someone like that every day, you can't help but push and pull him because he has such high standards.

I laugh when people assume he's going to be a coach, when he retires because he has been coaching for the last ten years. He spends so much time understanding the opposition and how to make his team work that he has a deep knowledge of how every department of the team functions. If he tells you that this is how we stage the play, you may not agree with it, but you know that he has the knowledge and facts to support it.

And then there is this voice. If you're listening to the game or have a ref mic, the person you'll hear is Owen. When he is in the defensive line, he always pushes everyone to get off the floor, line up and go again. The normal guys catch their breath when the ball goes and you have a second to pass out. Owen doesn't allow it. When he is around you, he constantly yells for you to get up and go, you feel obliged to get up because he does it himself.

The reality is that England needs Owen Farrell. There is no one more vital to our World Cup chances. I just hope more people appreciate how blessed England is to have Owen because you don't realize how good you are at something until it's gone.

The decision to cancel the England captain's red card – and release him for the FIFA World Cup – sparked heated controversy among Telegraph readers. Read what they said here.