Saracens boss tight-lipped on Owen Farrell boos but weighs in on ‘unlucky’ cards
Owen Farrell (Saracens, captain) prepares to kick during the Harlequins V Saracens Gallagher Premiership rugby match.
Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall refused to comment on Bulls fans booing captain Owen Farrell during the Champions Cup clash at Loftus on Saturday evening.
Farrell returned to the starting lineup after missing Saracens’ loss to Northampton Saints last weekend. He was unable to inspire his side to victory as they fell to a 27-16 defeat to a rampant Bulls outfit.
Throughout the match, Farrell was booed by the Loftus faithful, which has been a running theme in recent weeks for the playmaker, especially during the Rugby World Cup with England. He has subsequently announced a break from international rugby for his mental well-being, which will rule him out of the Six Nations.
Bulls fans at the game booed Farrell when he missed a drop goal, overhit a kick to touch and when he lined up a conversion towards the end of the game.
When asked about the treatment his fly-half and captain received, McCall said: “I have nothing to say about that.”
McCall on Vunipola and Goode cards
Saracens spent more than half the game playing with 14 men with fullback Alex Goode and Maro Itoje yellow carded while number eight Billy Vunipola was red carded.
McCall conceded that his charges were up against it at altitude in Pretoria and that the cards cost them dearly.
“I think the discipline comes from pressure,” he said. “We were under a lot of pressure; we were second best physically in the first half, and our breakdown and our defensive collisions were nowhere near where they needed to be.
“The scoreline was 20-6 at half-time, and I think that reflected the half, but the team showed some grit in the second half to fight back when we were down to 14 men.
“It is a wonderful place to play, an iconic place to play, and we are pleased to have come here, but we would have liked to have played a lot better than we did tonight.
“We’ve got a really important game next weekend; this competition is unforgiving – you’ve only got four games, and we’ve lost the first one. We’ve got zero points, and next week is really important.
“When you are losing collisions and under pressure then sometimes that lack of discipline happens.”
Zoning in on the three cards, McCall felt that Goode was particularly unlucky to be sent to the sin bin after he was judged to have impeded Kurt-Lee Arendse after the Bulls winger’s kick and attempted chase.
“I thought Alex Goode was unlucky to be honest; I didn’t agree with that decision,” he said.
“Billy was trying to be urgent and clear out from a line-out and got it wrong. These things happen sometimes.
“I’m pleased we fought back hard in the second half but disappointed with the first half.”
Saracens will need to bounce back in their next Champions Cup fixture as they return to London, where they will host Connacht.
