by The opening shots of the video clip from Pretoria show Owen Farrell, a beaming grin across his face and a ball in hand (see below). One suspects his club Saracens’ social media post, and the “set in” message on Tuesday, was not by chance. Earlier in the day his club also posted a message with a photo of their captain looking down at the Saracens crest on his jersey.
The 32-year-old may have retired from Test rugby last week to protect his mental health and his family, but it seems that link with the club where he made his senior debut for 11 days after his 17th birthday. as strong as ever.
A week-long trip to South Africa to prepare for their Investec Champions Cup opener against the Bulls on Saturday provided the perfect escape from the spotlight since his bombshell announcement, but word from inside the camp is that it is equally good. desperate as ever to deliver a big performance.
“He’s our captain, he’s our leader, someone that everyone at the club respects. Being on the field is a huge advantage, of course,” said Mark McCall, Saracens’ director of rugby. “Not just being on the pitch, but being in the team room, in the meetings. He’s made a huge contribution, and it’s great to have him here with us.”
It was McCall who came out in a strong defense of his captain last week, blasting criticism that Farrell’s career was “disgraceful”. McCall spoke almost like a father, pointing out that Farrell had been at the club for almost half his life.
It gave an insight into the culture at Saracens, where the player always comes first – a mindset that went too far astray at times when they overshot the salary cap, leading to their relegation in 2020. And yet the club always insisted that they would succeed. The point was founded on more wholesome values, especially a spirit and culture often characterized by the desire of their international players to return to club action when others might be more equivalent.
The latest example came with footage of Jamie George and Theo Dan celebrating the club’s win over Gloucester moments after England’s victory in the bronze medal match at the World Cup in Paris, which was quickly followed by Saracens’ England contingent returning to action Premiership en bloc. to achieve a stunning victory over Leicester the following weekend.
Now, Farrell, who was seen smiling and signing autographs ahead of Saracens’ win over Northampton at the StoneX Stadium last Saturday, is fit to play for his club despite the off-field problems he quit. from international rugby, it only emphasizes that attitude. The club has his back.
“I think what I’ve always found in the club is that people come forward,” McCall said. “It’s way more important than performance or outcomes or results.
“The people in the organization and looking out for each other and looking after your partners, looking after the people you work with is the most important thing. And I think that has served us well over the years.
“It’s probably very easy to say that and very difficult to explain what it really looks like, but I think when the big tests come and whether that was on the field or part of it the off the field issues we had, I think you saw the club getting tighter together and looking out for each other. It’s a great privilege to be part of this group of people, some of whom have been here for a long time, some of them recently and are getting used to it.”
Saracens chairman Neil Golding, who was appointed after the salary cap controversy, offers a relatively fresh view of the culture, admitting that he was struck by the bond within the squad when the club faced the ignorance of their salary cap sanctions. , including relegation.
“The general culture at Sarries is that they give ‘s—‘ about people. It’s hard to see what the secret sauce is but it comes across all the time, right from the top all the way down in terms of being supportive,” Golding said.
“Owen is a very high-profile example, but if you work in an organization that does well and treats you well, it almost seems like: ‘What’s not to enjoy?’ Owen and the likes of Jamie [George] and Maro [Itoje] they started at the club as kids and grew up together, came through the ranks and are at the top of their game. They are there with their colleagues and they are treated accordingly.”
Golding remembers seeing tangible evidence of this bond’s tightness, when Farrell and senior bosses held a meeting after it was confirmed the club would be relegated for salary cap breaches.
“The senior players, led by Owen, got together and decided they would have a season in the Championship. Some like Ben [Earl] and Max [Malins] out on loan because of their careers, but the senior leaders effectively said that they would take one for the team and play in the Championship, bounce back and show everyone that they didn’t win stuff because they had overcome the salary cap but because they are a tight group.
“It’s surprising if you’d get the same response from a Premier League football team but these lads wanted to prove people wrong so they come back even stronger. Mark and Phil Morrow [Saracens’ general manager] was the same. There was definitely a Dunkirk spirit amongst the club at that point.”
If last season’s Premier League victory proved that point, it also provides the context to explain why Farrell is happy to return to action for his club at a time in his career when the stress of international rugby has taken its toll. affect them.
“Jamie George, Owen and Jackson Wray were young players when this project started in 2009-10 and they benefited from the wisdom of some of the senior players around and allowed them to grow and develop at their own pace.
“A lot of people in the senior player group were looking out for them and the same thing is happening now. We have a group of 18, 19 and 20-year-olds who have come to the club and now have senior players who have an obligation to do the same and help and support people in the way they were supported. “
