Steve Borthwick will likely remain loyal to Owen Farrell. Photo: PA/Nile Carson
Steve Borthwick's favorite buzzwords are clarity and cohesion. They litter his press conferences like chips on the side of the M1. So for Owen Farrell, a four-game suspension could be the worst of all worlds for the England manager as it muddies the waters in his already busy World Cup planning.
If Farrell had been acquitted, he would have quickly returned to the squad for the last warm-up game against Fiji this week, and Borthwick could raise a glass to Richard Smith QC before leaving the whole horrific episode behind him. Happy clarity.
If Farrell had been suspended for a maximum of six matches (excluding Ireland last week), which would have ruled him out of England's pool stage and quarter-finals, then Borthwick would have had no choice but to waive his right. captain. Painful clarity.
But four games, and that's essentially three, since last week's match with Ireland is already counted, creates a terrible situation halfway through. This forces Borthwick to switch to another midfielder, most likely George Ford, and another captain, most likely Courtney Lowes, for England's two most important matches against Argentina and Japan. And then Borthwick has to make an uncomfortable decision: whether to stay with his former captain or leave him aside.
Borthwick, who learns of the fate of Billy Vunipola's disciplinary hearing on his own red card on Wednesday morning, is betrayed by his guilt. His decision to announce Farrell as World Cup captain back in June was a testament to his faith in the Saracen playmaker. But, as unlikely as it may now seem, what if England's attack came suddenly in his absence? Does Borthwick's loyalty outweigh his desire for rallying?
Farrell's disciplinary hearing has become a saga. Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
Despite the suspension, Farrell was in Dublin last week and was actively involved in the warm-up. This, of course, is a testament to his selfless desire to help the team. An alternative view might see his presence as a chokehold for the interim linebacker and captain wanting to command in his own style.
Either way, what offensive coach Richard Wigglesworth sizzlingly referred to as Farrell's «white noise» will continue to hum incessantly. Borthwick has been desperate to avoid any spectacle or spectacle at the World Cup but like it or not, there will be a big pinnacle at England's training base at Le Touque until Borthwick announces his team will face Chile on September 23rd and beyond.
It also puts pressure on the shoulders of Farrell, who, as we remember, created all this chatter in the first place to prove that he is worth all the destruction. Many of his qualities are intangible: character, leadership, aura. If he wants to return to his role as number 10, he will need to prove that he is unquestionably the best midfielder, not the best leader.
At the very least, Borthwick justified his decision to choose three midfielders for his team, while other countries chose two or, in the case of South Africa, one. «In these key positions, you need depth and three players who can play in that position,» Borthwick said before announcing his 33-man lineup. “Given the number of cards being issued, HIAs and [head injury assessment], you need depth for these specialist positions.”
Whatever prophetic pride he enjoys, it is balanced by disappointment that he never got to test the Ford-Farrell partnership that was expected in at least one warm-up game. Now this is definitely a bad start for the World Cup.
For all of England's dissatisfaction with Farrell's drawn-out disciplinary process and World Rugby's appeal of his original acquittal, it still has to be considered a victory for rugby as a whole. After initially dragging on, World Rugby has responded to the sport's severe crisis with the introduction of often conflicting and confusing disciplinary guidelines aimed at curbing high tackles. Hence their appeal against Farrell's initial release.
Billy Vunipola received a yellow card for a high tackle, which was replaced with a red card. Photo: Sportsfile/Brendan Moran
While the definition of «high» still creates a difference of opinion depending on which side of the equator you live on, Farrell's high tackle on Thane Basham was one that was almost universally recognized as a red card. For Farrell, one of the most prominent players in the sport, avoiding sanctions right before the biggest World Cup to date would mean destroying much of the message and education of World Rugby.
It was found that the original panel had misapplied Jamie George's hit softening, which changed the dynamics of Farrell's tackle on Basham. As Welsh referee Nigel Owens initially observed, no mitigating action should be taken if the tackle was always illegal due to Farrell's failure to turn the ball.
This also demonstrates that justice is universal. The Pacific Islanders were rightly upset that Tongan George Moala was suspended for five games, while Farrell initially escaped punishment simply because the Rugby Union could afford the services of Richard Smith QC.
While World Rugby will breathe a sigh of relief, especially as they support the verdict of their new bunker system, this is one of those episodes where there are no winners. The disciplinary process may have delivered the correct verdict, but only after an extremely convoluted process that showed the archaic systems of the sport and its newfangled social media trolls in a worse light. Meanwhile, Borthwick's precious clarity and cohesion have been left on the side of the road.
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