Kevin Sinfield says Owen Farrell’s situation similar to David Beckham’s after 1998 football World Cup

England defence coach Kevin Sinfield has called on the Red Rose’s fans not to turn on Owen Farrell after recalling the condemnation of David Beckham after the 1998 World Cup.

Farrell’s red card, for a dangerous tackle on Wales back-row Taine Basham in Saturday’s Rugby World Cup warm-up Test at Twickenham, was rescinded in a shock disciplinary verdict and the England captain is now free to play against Ireland this weekend.

Farrell’s criticism more intense due to his captaincy status

Sinfield feels the criticism which Farrell has faced since he received his marching orders is more intense because of his status as England skipper and draws a similarity to Beckham’s sending off for kicking Argentina’s Diego Simeone 25 years ago.

When Beckham returned to England from that World Cup in France, he experienced a nasty backlash from disgruntled fans to the point that an effigy of the England and Manchester United player was dangled from a hangman’s noose near Upton Park.

“Owen’s England captain and he understands that it’s part of the territory,” said Sinfield.

“In any sport, if you’re England captain the noise and the heat, the magnitude of it is bigger than if it were anyone else.

“I’ll go back a long, long time to the 1998 World Cup when Beckham gets sent off. If it had been any other player, it probably wouldn’t have been the same.

“I’m not suggesting that Owen is like Beckham at all. I don’t even think that Beckham was England captain at that time. But there are certain players who get a lot of heat.

“I don’t think Owen overly puts himself out there. He’s a really good guy who wants to get better and wants to help the team. Some of it I don’t understand.

“I understand some of the noise. Some of it I don’t get either. You guys have tried to hang him when it’s one poorly-timed tackle. We need to get some balance to this.

“If it’s Owen I think the heat that is generated is far greater than if it was anyone else.”

Farrell’s dangerous hit on Basham is not an isolated incident. The England and Saracens fly-half was suspended in January for a high tackle on Gloucester’s Jack Clement and was also banned in 2016 and 2020 for the same offence.

Sinfield is adamant those challenges are anomalies.

“I know how hard Owen is working on his tackle technique and I know what he’s done through the Six Nations, and with Saracens,” he added.

“This is a guy who wants to improve and get better. He’s made one mistake. Players are human.

Worked hard on his tackling

“Owen has worked incredibly hard. Since our last incident he’s probably been involved in about 2,000 tackles.

“I’ve overseen the vast majority of them as he’s been with us. He’s been exceptional.

“Referees get things wrong, we all get things wrong in this room, we know that, and Owen is human.

“It may happen again and if it does I would ask that it is judged fairly. This is probably one in 2,000 tackles he has got wrong.”

READ MORE: Opinion: Owen Farrell’s rescinded red card an an appalling act of double-standards