Farrell Keeps It In The Family As He Prepares For International Berth

Owen Farrell is thinking hard about which of his father’s characteristics he has taken over the most. The 20-year-old Saracens first-choice place kicker and a young man who has played as stand off, inside and outside centre for the current English champions, will be named in the Elite Player Squad on Wednesday for the RBS Six Nations campaign and is almost certain to start in Scotland on February 4th in a game in which his father, Andy, will be backs coach.

Farrell senior has been his coach at Sarries, too, for the past two years, having previously been the biggest star in rugby league where he captained a successful Wigan side as well as Great Britain, before switching codes and featuring for England in the 2007 World Cup.

“I’ve got Dad’s big mouth,” Owen admits. “You could always hear him on the pitch. There would be 20,000 people there in the stands at Wigan but you could still hear him giving orders and leading people. I’d like to think I’m the same on the pitch.”

He is a young man with an old head on his shoulders. Farrell junior proved this when he kicked 17 points in the Premiership final victory over Leicester last May in front of 80,000 fans at Twickenham, and then added a further 14 points with the boot a fortnight ago to defeat Harlequins in “The Big Game” at headquarters. It is little wonder that the man barely out of his teens can boss the likes of Charlie Hodgson, former world cup winning Springbok captain John Smit and former England captain Steve Borthwick around.

“I didn’t just come into the team and start shouting and bawling,” he explains.

“Before I could speak with confidence I had to learn so that I could have my say about the game. I got thrown in last year and I had to pick it up quickly. You’ve got to know your stuff first.”

It is handy in knowing your stuff to have been around a man like Andy Farrell all your life. “I grew up watching Wigan who were so successful when I was younger. I’d go along to training just to watch. Just being around such brilliant rugby players, hanging out with them and even occasionally joining in a bit was all a big help.

“It was all about league to me. My heroes were players like the Wallabies, Andrew Johns and Darren Lockyer.”

At 13 years of age, however, his father dropped a bombshell on his son and family. The biggest name in League, the Martin Johnson of his code, was moving south to Saracens and switching to union. Ironically Owen, now one of the biggest young stars in English rugby, was far from happy.

“If I’m honest I was gutted when Dad made his decision,” he reveals. “I always wanted to stay in Wigan, maybe play for them one day, and to stay with my friends and at my school. I really wasn’t happy about the change at all. It was the dream of every young lad in Wigan to play for the rugby league team one day.

“Now, of course, I completely understand why he chose to do it but it was a big deal at the time because no member of the Farrell family had moved out of Wigan before. But Dad had won a lot of trophies and did everything there was to do in League. He wanted a new challenge. I was just being selfish.”

Seven years on and Farrell, who will play in the number 13 jersey at Vicarage Road as Saracens take on Bath this afternoon, now has a father as both a club and, from February onwards, national coach. How does this work at work and, for that matter, at home?

“He’s my coach from the moment I arrive at work until I finish. It’s brilliant to know his opinion after the game about where and what I should work on. He watches games and slows it down five times. It can be a nightmare watching games with him because sometimes you just want to enjoy it.”

A nightmare for his mother, too. “She’ll raise her eyebrows or leave the room when we start talking rugby,” he admits.

Mrs Farrell has the small matter of seven-month-old baby Gabriel to contend with as well, who sleeps just along the corridor from Owen’s bedroom in the house they all share in Harpenden.

“My baby brother doesn’t keep me awake and he’s brilliant to have around, especially as he’s getting his own personality now. I was a little surprised when my Mum told me the news of the baby, though.”

It seems highly likely that for a few weeks in February and March Owen will not need to worry about baby brothers and his sleep, and more about playing for England. With Toby Flood out injured for at least the Calcutta Cup Farrell’s Saracens teammate, Hodgson, may well now start at stand off, which is good news, at least in the Watford and Harpenden areas of England.

“I played against Charlie and Sale last season before he joined us and we got badly beaten,” Farrell recalls. “Charlie was in complete control of the game. Although it was bad to lose so heavily it was good to watch him.

“Now he’s a Saracen and he’s brilliant to play with. All the skills are there and I don’t think there’s anyone in the game who can pass the ball like him.”

Hodgson’s a decent kicker too but with Flood out England may well turn to Farrell to take what could prove to be crucial, match-winning kicks against a Scottish side baying for English blood.

“That won’t come into my head,” he insists. “It doesn’t matter if you’re playing in front of 80,000 or eight people. You just focus on what you need to do. Dad was a brilliant kicker and I get tips off him. Hopefully it’s paying off.”

Indeed it is, and as if Andy Farrell has not already given both codes of rugby enough over the years, it seems now his son is ready to continue the legacy, and possibly take it to even greater heights.

Owen Farrell was speaking on behalf of Aviva – proud title sponsors of Premiership Rugby, who were celebrating Sunday’s Saracens v Bath match as the 2,000th Premiership Rugby match. For info and offers, visit www.avivapremiership.com/freeshirt.