Andy Goode makes big Owen Farrell claim as ‘proven performer’ set for ‘unbelievable’ finish
Andy Goode makes big Owen Farrell claim as 'proven performer' set for 'unbelievable' finish
Former England international Andy Goode has claimed that Owen Farrell will not be returning to the Saracens squad in his normal position of fly-half.
The 45-year-old former playmaker mentioned on The Rugby Pod that inside sources have suggested that the former England captain will play second fiddle to Scotland international Fergus Burke at the London club.
Burke arrived at the StoneX Stadium at the start of the 2024/25 season and has become an important member of their first team, comfortably settling into the Saracens‘ playing style. The 26-year-old is a confident orchestrator of the game, and while he doesn’t often do anything extraordinary, his organisational skills often prove vital to unlocking the talent around him.
Despite now being capped for Scotland, many expected Burke to take a back seat with the return of Owen Farrell, but if the rumour mill – or Andy Goode’s inside source – is to be believed, then Farrell will be occupying the inside centre position.
Donning the shirt that he wore so many times for England, the playmaker, with a “turning circle of a snail” according to Jim Hamilton, is expected to use all his experience and influence to work alongside the New Zealand-born ten.
Owen Farrell’s impact
Speaking about his former teammate, Hamilton said: “So for me, you’re talking about a proven performer, off the back of a tough year, he gets called up by the Lions, does a hell of a job for them, and wants to reignite his career, albeit one of the most experienced players we’ve seen. Is he in his prime, or just at the back end of his prime? I still think he’s got two years of unbelievable rugby.
“I don’t think it’s just the player you get. You get the villain, you get the backstory, you get the fallout and the comeback to England. You get into stories of the British and Irish Lions. There’s so much around that man that benefits this season.”
Andy Goode jumped in with word from the inside, saying: “I’ve heard he’s playing 12, or they’re going to look at him, definitely starting off with him as a 12 and backing Fergus Burke.
“You only have to look back at the Prem last year, they didn’t have Owen Farrell, and they were missing some guys throughout the season. Sarries weren’t that far off the top four. It came down to that game at Northampton. Sarries will be in the mix, and Owen Farrell will have a big impact on that.
“Ultimately, it’s great to see him back in the Prem. It didn’t work for him in France for one reason or another. He had a load of injuries, he wasn’t in the environment that he was used to, but coming back to Saracens, he’ll be back in that environment.
“I think he wants to try and really put his foot down and get back in the England squad and also have a big finish to his career at Saracens, getting back to the glory days when they won loads of trophies.”
The experienced leader
Dan Biggar, having played with and against Farrell most recently, added: “It’s so much easier if you’re an Owen Farrell type character to have an influence on a squad, day in, day out, as opposed to coming in for a couple of weeks or a short period of time, you can set standards every session, every video, meeting, every gym session, whatever it is.
“People can see you doing things a lot more in that environment, and I think you can have a voice a lot more, rather than just coming in and out of an environment like the Lions, like England.
“So I just think he’s going to have an even bigger say on the squad in a club environment than perhaps from an international side of things.”
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