England's Farrell still seeks to better himself

Owen Farrell still does not feel at ease in the environment of an England camp despite being on the brink of winning his 50th cap.
Owen FarrellOwen Farrell
Owen Farrell

Farrell will reach the milestone in Sunday’s RBS 6 Nations clash with Italy at Twickenham when he could be moved to fly-half as part of a rejigged midfield including Ben Te’o and Elliot Daly.

As the heartbeat of Eddie Jones’ England side, the architect of Daly’s match-winning try against Wales 11 days ago is the player they can least afford to lose, with forwards coach Steve Borthwick noting that his team-mates improve through his presence alone.

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Yet Farrell still refuses to view his selection against Italy as the certainty it is, fearing it might lead to a fall in the standards that have secured the Grand Slam champions 16 successive victories.

“I don’t think you ever feel comfortable and I don’t think that anyone here would tell you that they feel comfortable,” Farrell said.

“And that’s the way it should be, because there has to be a drive to constantly improve.

“I’ve not thought about winning the 50th cap too much. I need to get picked first and have a good week.

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“The thing here is that it’s all about getting better and I go on about it, but that’s all I concentrate on.”

Farrell made his debut against Scotland four years ago and in the intervening years he has developed into a more rounded player, adding vision and a great range of passing skills to the kicking, defence and competitive hunger that have always been his calling cards.

“I hope I have improved a lot and have come a long way since my debut. It was all right – there were quite a few new caps at the same time as me so there were a few of us in the same position,” he said.

“Of course I was nervous. You probably build it up into something that it is not. It is another game, but you are going into the unknown.”

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Farrell’s development as a playmaker has accelerated under the guidance of Jones, who has also elicited a more measured temperament from a 25-year-old whose fiery nature would often lead to clashes with opponents.

“The more aware you are of things, the more control you can have,” Farrell said.

“It’s not something you can really work too hard on. I guess you can have an awareness of it and therefore be more in control of it.”

Farrell – the son of rugby league great Andy Farrell – made his debut for Saracens in 2008, the same year that Borthwick arrived at the club.

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“Owen has got pretty good genes with the family history,” Borthwick said.

“I was fortunate that I saw him coming through as a youngster at Saracens. There are a lot of different moments that I can think of, but the one that struck me was when we played a Heineken Cup games against Racing Metro.

“There were three different times in the game when we were down by 13 points and we had him playing when and he was always totally composed saying ‘how are we going to win this game?’.

“He led us back into the game and was tremendous. This was from a 21-year-old. He’s got a tremendous competitive spirit and brilliant composure under pressure.

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“He led in the changing room even as a teenager. He had the ability to stand up in front of a group and tell them how we were going to win the game.

“In challenging circumstances he has that clarity of thought as well as the fantastic skills he possesses.”

Former British and Irish Lions head coach Sir Ian McGeechan believes Dylan Hartley remains a contender to be captain for this summer’s tour to New Zealand.

The England hooker thrived as captain in 2016 as Eddie Jones’ men won a RBS 6 Nations Grand Slam, three Tests in Australia and completed an unbeaten calendar year last autumn.

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But Hartley’s England place has been under scrutiny since his fitness dropped off following a high tackle on Sean O’Brien which incurred a six-week suspension while playing for Northampton.

But McGeechan said: “It’s open. He’s international captain at the moment. He’s done a very good job for England, as Rory Best has done for Ireland.

“Alun Wyn Jones has come on and I think at the moment is the best international captain, in the impact he’s had on his team.

“You need a player playing well enough to be a Test match player and leading from the front.

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“There will be questions, looking at some of the positions.”

Warburton relinquished the Wales captaincy prior to the Six Nations, with Jones succeeding him, but having skippered the tourists under Gatland in 2013, he could be chosen again.

Scotland skipper Greig Laidlaw, a scrum-half, is out injured and could be out of the Lions reckoning.

“The captaincy is, I think, quite a personal decision for the head coach,” McGeechan added.

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“You have to have somebody you trust and respect and that you share ideas with, not always agree with.

“Make sure you’ve got a good and honest sounding board coming back to you as coach.”

England are seeking a 17th successive Test win this Sunday at Twickenham against Italy. But Jones’ men are yet to play the All Blacks.

New Zealand had won 18 in a row until Ireland beat them in Chicago last November.

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“Ireland have proved that they can be beaten,” McGeechan added.

“All in all, it will be that Lions group knowing and understanding the level they’ve got to play as individuals, irrespective of whether they’ve played New Zealand or not.”

McGeechan twice toured as a player with the Lions and was coach in 1989, 1993 and 1997.

He is intrigued by the selection debates in pubs and rugby clubs, but declined to add to them.

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The Scot is keen to see more of England and Wasps back Elliot Daly and feels Ireland prop Tadgh Furlong is in the selection mix.

On Daly, he said: “The more a player comes into view, the more you look at him, his attributes and who you think would be good around those players.

“Tadgh Furlong, the Irish prop, has shown very quickly his potential, what he can do.

“There will be some players who have only come on the scene this year who will be very strong prospects for the Lions.

“You have to pick form players, not on reputation, because you don’t have time to find your form on

ends