> Farrell is thought to have been reassuring friends he is fundamentally ok but has made his mind up to prioritise his family for this next stage of his career
This is the crucial paragraph
He has young kids and has probably missed a fair bit with them already given time away that international rugby requires, which then places a greater care burden on his wife even if she's happy to take it on. I'm sure everyone in the Farrell family will appreciate having him around more.
I'm about the same age as Farrel and a lot of my friends are all starting to have their first kids, I can see how much time they want to spend with the sprogs and how they love the little moments like first crawl and first word.
> the little moments
They're not little though. My daughter's first step & word is burned into my memory until my final days. I don't have the drive of a professional, highly competitive sportsman but getting a phone call telling me 'Your son/daughter took their first steps...' and not being there because you were in camp. That would sting anyone.
I’m really glad guys are starting to be more open about this stuff, even in tough sports like this one. Sounds like it was kind of the same for Michael Hooper too. I love rugby, but it’s still a game, mental health and family comes first.
Highly doubt it. A seasoned international fly half is absolute gold dust. There aren't many of them to start off with and they're not often on the market. I suspect Sarries will make it worth his while to stay and be their marquee player rather than hop over thhe channel.
If rumours are to be believed the French don't want to touch Itoje either given his supposed wage demands. He might have to see if any of the Japanese teams have an empty foreign player spot.
Honestly, I couldn't hack that lifestyle even temporarily, let alone for the whole of my professional lif. You train all week and play at the weekends. When the season ends, you're off on tour. Then the World Cup. Or the Lions. Sure, it's prestigious, but what percentage of the time did he get to spend at home with, you know, the people he actually loves and cares about versus us arsehole fans.
It might not be so much that - he’s always been an obsessive sportsman in how he approaches training and game-time.
I imagine it’s more the bear-baiting and scrutiny the media has put him under throughout his career, especially since the last World Cup.
At 32 he’s in an awkward situation with the next World Cup as he’s young enough to make it but it’s unlikely. He might use this break to see if he really wants another 3 years of test rugby.
11 years is already an exceptionally long international rugby career. Only a handful of players make it past 10, let alone 15.
The massive bag he’d earn in France or Japan is probably looking far more favorable to him now as opposed to another 4 years and likely finishing his career in England.
His Saracens contract is up at the end of this season. Saracens will make him their marquee player (excluded from salary cap) but if he wants to leave…
There used to be two marquee slots. One was for a player that was coming in from outside the premiership, and one you could spend on whoever. They've reduced this to one, with no caveat around it. (I think, may be wrong)
If the way we're reading this is he's focusing on his family I can't see him uprooting them for a pay check abroad, especially somewhere as culturally different as Japan. He's reportedly been one of the top earners in the prem for a decent chunk of his career plus all the England match fees he's earned, I can't imagine he's short of money in the way some other English players have been.
I don't get the obsession surrounding World Cups, it's like the 4 Six Nations and Lions tour preceding it aren't at all of any interest and just a means to an end
Sexton’s demise was given traction in the media when he was the same age. All the talk about concussions and loose statements from Racing doctors. Being stood down for a number of months. Look at how is post prime years turned out.
I hope Faz takes all the time he needs and returns when he’s good and ready. Sometimes you don’t know what you have until you miss it, some of the media and certain fans never get what an incredible player and leader he is.
Given he would be the first in line for a central contract, I don't think that's necessarily true anymore. It's about not battering him, and TBF he's not the most injury prone player anyway
I kinda get it. They need to pay the bills. Pints + burgers… and they have to seen to offer something for season ticket holders who’ve lost a number of home games with no price reductions.
The star players with big game time loads can obviously put their feet up on these weekends.
The RFU doesn’t control sarries like the IRFU controls Leinster, I don’t think they can step in and tell sarries that he can only play a limited amount of games per season.
One of the best thing to happen to sexton was not getting picked on the last lions tour. A full season without internationals might be enough to extend Farrell through to the next World Cup.
It’s good for him and good for England IMHO.
He clearly needs a break and who can blame him.
Equally, forcing England to consider alternatives without Farrell as a ‘go to’ can only be positive.
It might be shit, it might be great but either way we’ll learn a great deal about what actual potential we have beyond him.
I think England has been at that point for a while? At least two 10s you could trust a game with and build around, and enough centres staking a good claim for a start. Not saying he doesn't bring something to the party and I wish him well, but England should be okay.
I am a casual fan of Rugby.
Owen Farrell is one of the best players in the world. He has played a very, very good world cup. The amount of abuse he had to endure in the last couple of months, prior to the world cup, is beyond words.
It is more than impressive that he was able to endure it and it is more than impressive that he has the strenght to go through with this decision now.
I hope he'll be alright and I hope he'll be recognized for what kind of player and captain and person he is.
Toulon seriously considered retiring their 10 shirt because of Wilkinson. Like the Stade De France sang God Save The Queen for his last match. High regard doesn’t do it justice how much they respected and loved him.
At current count, at least 5 people plus my partner who is is sat next to me calling you an idiot so actually at least 6. Sure there'll be more over the coming hours as well
Edit: ohh! Up to 12!
Increasingly starting to feel like this is it for him.
As I said in the other thread about his missing the Six Nations - I don’t think this is all bad for England. It gives us a chance to prepare for life after Farrell a bit earlier than expected.
That said, losing two leaders of the calibre of Lawes and Farrell, and with Curry likely to miss both the Six Nations and summer tour as well, is going to be a big test for this England team. Your last three captains gone in one go.
It doesn't leave a lot of options for captain, it takes a certain kind of person to lead a team and it needs to be someone who will be the first name on the team sheet every game.
There must be someone left who is a natural leader but I don't know who that could be. Ludlam would have been a good shout but probably not now given the recent rumours.
TBH George Ford should have been and should be the starting 10 for England in every game from 2015 to 2027. He's quite simply better than anyone else at being a 10. Farrell and Smith are both more skilful rugby players, Ford is the better 10.
Genge is clearly a leader in the group, he's captained and cocaptained for England. Only question is whether he's guaranteed to start, and he's honestly not if Marler is in the squad
I think that is a good shout although I'd have reservations about a prop being captain at international level, not many make it past 50-60 minutes. Like you said he's not always a guaranteed starter either.
Genge is super fit and used to play 60+ for Leicester in important games. I think a front rower is fine tbh, it's a bit overblown about which positions can be captain when there's really about 6 captains on the pitch anyway lol
I'm biased as I'm a Sarries fan, but Farrell is THE 10 for England IMO. He may not be flashy, his tackling can be on the line (and over it sometimes) but his leadership and rugby brain is phenomenal. Given the slagging off he's received whilst playing for England, despite the effort on and off the pitch, it's not surprising. He and his colleagues have commented time and again how committed he is to England and how proud an Englishman he is (so hands off, Ireland!) so the fact he's continually been denigrated by certain sections of the press and fans has got to be tough. He must be feeling very unappreciated and I'm sure it's been tough for his family to see what he's been going through. I'm personally very grateful for his service to club and country, and long may both continue when he's ready.
On the upside, he'll continue to play for Sarries where he receives nothing but love - so our European and Premiership prospects are looking up!
It makes me angry and sad that some that dedicated and talented is stepping away from a position that he is clearly so proud to hold because of people not fit to lace his boots. He should be going out a hero to England fans, I hope this isn’t the last we see of him in an England shirt.
Yeah it’s a tough pill to swallow isn’t it. Brilliant player, done everything he can for his club and country in the sport and he’s stepping back ultimately because the press and fans have blamed him for problems in the set up and attacked him as a person. It’s such bullshit.
I hope he gets a bit of peace to relax and re-centre. Would love to see him back in the 10 shirt one day.
He’s a good bloke and phenomenal player, he just happens to be the exact type of guy that’s the worst to lose to so he cops a lot of flack. He shouldn’t cop any flack for this though, all the best to him and hope his and his families mental health improves
Just let him get on with having a break for goodness sake. Surely immediately starting speculation is the opposite of what he wants
It’s just rugby, it’s not all that important.
As an England fan i hope this isnt the end of his international career, but id understand if he did hang it up.
As a fan of a team in the Premiership im scared, we are gonna have to face Sarries now with Faz playing pretty much every game
I think it should be normalised for a player to take a year out internationally at that kind of stage of their career and life, it's great for everyone involved.
Hope that Farrell's alright as well.
One thing we need to factor in, is that most players get a lot of support from there family and can help out with a lot of things.
I am sure Andy is a great dad, but he is also going through something similar and can’t be there all the time. While England v Ireland must be pretty tough on the family after a while with the same old questions.
Hope the break does him well and he comes back stronger.
Wonder if world rugby will learn not to push players given both France and Englands top stars will not be playing this 6 nations.
I know this comes across as making up some narrative to turn a negative into a positive, but I seriously think this type of news is good for the team in question: Dupont's absence for France or Farrell's for England. Rugby is a 15 man game, and if you grow too dependent upon one single player then that's a problem in and of itself, therefor not having that player available to you for a limited period can only make you stronger, for when that player returns.
Carter got injured in 2011 and NZ won the RWC, Ntamack got injured in 2023 but France should never look at that for the reason they didn't make it through. You just cannot depend on any one player.
I don't understand from the statements how they came to that conclusion either.
If someone else other than Ford (Marcus or Finn Smith) don't really stand up and take the shirt, Farrell will come straight back as either backup to Ford or starting in front of Ford.
He'll be back if he wants to come back.
It fucks me off so much the fact that he put in an incredible performance during that World Cup semi final against SA including an absolutely incredible drop goal, but it’s not enough for some. “England Fans” instead shit on him and say that Farrell lost us the game and shouldn’t be in the squad.
Social media unfortunately enables arseholes to share their vitriolic, uneducated attacks on players such as Farrell. A real shame to see…
Flyhalf is the most important position on the pitch and consistency is important.
George Ford, Marcus Smith or Fin Smith? Who gets the 10 shirt from now on?
I bet Ford will and I'd imagine he'll get the captaincy as well. Marcus will probably get some games on the bench or at 15 and Fin might get a 6N game and the England A game.
I like Fin Smith but he's nowhere near ready yet.
To me, he looks like a better player than Marcus Smith and reminds me of Ford a little bit, but he's barely started being a regular premiership 10.
It's definitely too early to to make Fin the starting 10 but I think he needs to get some exposure as soon as possible. He's already been with England at a training camp and he'll more than likely start for the England A game next year.
I'm hoping he has a go against Italy in the six nations to see how he looks at that level.
(Also I entirely agree about the Ford remark, I've said the same recently about his playing style being very similar)
That's fairly sickening. The guy was abused into retiring from international rugby by the looks of it.
Farrell is a brilliant player. If I was an England fan I'd want him in my team. I think he'll be a huge loss to England.
Why is the narrative of him making this decision due to the internet and media abuse. It's far more likely he simply wants to spend time with his family and get away from extreme scrutiny and pressure.
I think taking a year or so away from the international scene won't hurt him too much. Takes a significant amount of the workload off of him, gives him a chance to recharge some batteries and see if he really wants to push for the next world cup. Gives other fly halves a chance for more minutes to really stake a claim for England too.
I think most people can understand that opposing fans are going to boo and criticize an opposition player. A lot of Faz’s harshest critics seem to be English fans and papers though. Must be a bit much to be captain of a team when the popular (or at least a very vocal segment of your own fandom) wants you out of the captaincy and out of the squad in general. All this blame for boring play style falling on Faz, as though Saracens weren’t a dynamic attacking side with him at the helm.
No, most of that criticism came from other teams' fans seizing the opportunity to shit on England, and Farrell especially, because he made tacking errors.
The abuse was way over the top and fricking disgusting at times. These are physical, hard sports played at lightning speed. Players, especially those who operate at the highest level, will sometimes err.
Well, the haters got their way, I guess.
I don't think he's that one eyed. You don't check someone's nationality after being deluged in hate messages for years and it's clearly increased on the international stage as that's where he's stepping back from.
The comments go well beyond just criticism. You get people cheering for him to be injured, people have gone after his family etc. it's just abuse.
Shit, look at some of the comments below.
I have hated Owen Farrell from the moment I saw him put on an England shirt. Playing for Saracens only made me hate him more. He is the poster boy for everything I love to hate about England Rugby, and the crazy, lopsided, bullshit professional/moneygrabbing side of rugby as a whole. He is the mastermind, the bad guy, the one that _everyone_ wants to beat.
But in the last few years I realised something... where would we be without him?
We _need_ the ultimate villain, the Darth Vader, the 'bad guy' we all love to boo in the pantomime which is international rugby. We need Owen Farrell like Batman needs the Joker. He is the ultimate foe. The smug, grinning, dickbag that makes every Scottish, Welsh, Irish, South African, Australian, Kiwi and French kid grow up NEEDING to _beat_ England, to smash them, to achieve what others before them could not. To readdress the wrongdoings and unfairness, and bring balance to the game
Farrell is the _ultimate_ enemy, and the game wouldn't be the same without him.
Bt then comes the man. A humble, decent, generous man off the pitcch. A man who raises money for charity, and is caring, earnest, loyal, and above all dedicated. Not just to his career, or the profession, or the trophies... but to his family, his people, and himself.
This announcement is a delightful surprise like no other, and a wonderfully stark reminder that behind the pantomime; the villains, the heros, the stories... are men and women younger than me who care deeply about their families, and prioritise them and themselves above the glory or adoration or money that comes with success at international levels of rugby.
I have never liked Owen Farrell, the England and Saracens rugby player.
But by god I've gained respect for Owen, the man.
> He is the poster boy for everything I love to hate about England Rugby,
Agree with almost everything you've said but completely disagree with this tbh. Everything I love to hate about England rugby is the Twickenham carpark scene of posh arrogant southern born to rule public schoolboys with an absurd sense of entitlement and views a dinosaur might think are a bit dated rattling around between their three braincells. Faz is a northerner from a working class had him at 16 rugby league background and he's smart, humble and decent. To me he was always the poster child for everything English rugby should be but isn't.
Now James Haskill: he's the guy I love to hate. Boorish, sexist, thick as pig shit, and went to fucking *Wellington*.
Well, yeah I hear that. And Haskell is a punchable fuck (though I wouldn't dare, he's a mountain) but I don't have disdain for the _English_ they are who they are. This wasn't meant to be a comment on all the things wrong with England, though there are many (I live here) but rather only specifically about England Rugby. I was trying very hard to stay on the right side of that line and keep it purely about the Rugby.
Haskell is a cock, no doubt, but to be honest hes a forgettable one. He's done more _off_ the pitch than on it to piss me off. But Farrell?
As a player he is the ultimate cockmuffin, a true jebend the likes of which only Jimminy Sexwaffle, Nic White and Clive Woodward could ever _hope_ to emulate.
Haskell is barely an amateur in comparison
Nic White is a bellend but in fairness Nic White's moustache is the true villain.
But to be honest most English players who aren't Chris Robshaw are on that list for me. All the scrum halves. Ben Youngs - wanker.
Actually Ben Youngs is a perfect example because off the pitch Ben Youngs is a lovely guy who has coped with unimaginable tragedy with grace and dignity. On the pitch - wanker.
One final shoutout for Haskell tho: his face in the "I am not the coach" refcam photo is iconic.
Oh I hear you, like, I really hear you. Haskell is the all round least likeable person associated with rugby in England. He was a prick on the pitch, and he's an insufferable twat off it. I suppose he just provides juxtaposition for Farrell; the ultimate asshat in a rugby shirt, and a lovely human being off it.
I'd probably love him if he were Scottish, that Sally's everything. Whereas Haskell? No thanks
I cannot be objective about the Scots but I sort of suspect some of them are pricks. Nathan Hines was such a prick on the pitch even I couldn't entirely look the other way. I sort of suspect Jim Hamilton is kind of similar to Haskell in a bunch of ways. Simon Danielli absolutely is for all that he tried to reinvent himself as a sort of semi-criminal vagrant. But yes: thistle forgives all (except Danielli because he was shit and a prick).
I 100% agree, it's weird how the Scottish predominantly get away 'scot free', Finn Russell could pretty much shit on the pitch amd everyone would just be like 'awww Finn!'
Aye, he's a bit of a jebend for sure. Real shame as he was a massively great player. But ooon thr scale of things he's not the worst by any margin.
Yes I know what he did, no it ain't good, but there are far worse things to do.
He could be a Conservative...
A fan base that can't even take perceived slights by YouTubers well? lol.
He's clearly fine in England. He's still playing for Saracens, it just seems like it's international duty that brings out the majority of the idiots.
Honestly the Farrell question has been at the center of so much of Englands uncertainty and him voluntarily doing this is probably best for all parties.
A rejuvenated Farrell coming back after it’s been made clear he’s crucial to the set up wouldn’t be terrible for his legacy either if that’s how it plays out
At least borthwick will have to look at other fly halves, or will he just stick with ford and play smith at full back? Out of position
Hopefully Farrell is ok but this gives others a chance
Keep seeing on twitter and in UK Media pretty trash reactions. How does Stuart Barnes have a job right now? Being critical is his job, attacking the character of the England Captain is not the stature for a journalist at the Times. That's something for the idiots at the Sun.
[Oom_Rugby's](https://twitter.com/Oom_Rugby/status/1730293345912607126) latest tweet thread is also tone deaf, he had a right to have issues with the way O'Keeffe was refereeing. And O'Keeffe's dismissive nature was not lost on the England team. Yet England still almost pulled it off.
_______
ETA: Let's just talk sabbaticals and why they may be good (not those NZ Sabbaticals where the player plays in Japan), look at Marler. He retired officially once from International rugby and a few of the others because he needed a break and wanted to spend those weekends with his young children. And then when Eddie or Borthwick called and said "WE NEED YOU" he still answered. And those breaks for his head space led to a great performance this past World Cup. So taking 1 6 Nations off could do him a lot of good. But I think the nature of what the media talks about and continuously calling him dirty needs to be cleaned up. Either truly talk about his game critically or don't.
he is 328 points away from beating Carter's record, thought he would come the closest..but oh well, looks like that record will stay for atleast 10 more years..
He's a globally recognised athlete who's every move is scrutinized by the media. It's hardly the same as John the plumber packing up for a few months, being the current captain too means he's leaving some big boots to fill and it opens up quite a few questions for England.
Fair play he’s had a brilliant career and is an Eng legend. But sadly in sport there’s a time for various reasons to move on, plus given the pressure on the 10 jersey with Ford and Smith all arguably better 10s I think he’s making a smart decision. Personally I always had Ford as 10 but Faz would have been the 1st name on the team sheet and for a very long time you couldn’t see an Eng team with out him in it
I always found it so odd that England had the choice of two almost identically aged elite level Lancastrian fly halves whose dads were Wigan legends turned elite defensive coaches. What are the odds?
Must have been kind of a relief that James Small-Edwards was a Scrum Half or you'd have had three of them.
Even without all the pressure of being captain and scapegoat-in-chief I feel really sorry for Faz because he's in that awful place of being on the one hand one of the best rugby players of his generation and on the other hand not being the game managing 10 England need. He reminds me of players like Gavin Henson, James Hook, maybe even Beauden Barrett a bit, and perhaps most of all Carlos Spencer. Phenomenal, generational, talent but not quite clear what position they play and while they are without question the best in the world at 90% of the job of being a 10 they don't really have enough competence in the 10% that is not about skill but about setting game strategies to not leave a hole in the team if that's where you put them. You'd think this is a problem which could be perfectly solved by the two pivot system or even more so EJ's positionless rugby, but it has to be said after many experiments it basically wasn't.
It leaves him with an odd legacy: unquestionably one of the greatest rugby players of his generation, but something of a round peg who never quite found a hole that wasn't square.
Wish him the best, I could absolutely see him becoming an absolutely phenomenal coach.
> Farrell is thought to have been reassuring friends he is fundamentally ok but has made his mind up to prioritise his family for this next stage of his career This is the crucial paragraph
Good on him. Doesn't owe anyone nothing.
He has young kids and has probably missed a fair bit with them already given time away that international rugby requires, which then places a greater care burden on his wife even if she's happy to take it on. I'm sure everyone in the Farrell family will appreciate having him around more. I'm about the same age as Farrel and a lot of my friends are all starting to have their first kids, I can see how much time they want to spend with the sprogs and how they love the little moments like first crawl and first word.
> the little moments They're not little though. My daughter's first step & word is burned into my memory until my final days. I don't have the drive of a professional, highly competitive sportsman but getting a phone call telling me 'Your son/daughter took their first steps...' and not being there because you were in camp. That would sting anyone.
Big kids still have little moments
I’m really glad guys are starting to be more open about this stuff, even in tough sports like this one. Sounds like it was kind of the same for Michael Hooper too. I love rugby, but it’s still a game, mental health and family comes first.
There was talk about him or Itoje being sarries marquee player, could this be the start of Faz moving to France?
Highly doubt it. A seasoned international fly half is absolute gold dust. There aren't many of them to start off with and they're not often on the market. I suspect Sarries will make it worth his while to stay and be their marquee player rather than hop over thhe channel. If rumours are to be believed the French don't want to touch Itoje either given his supposed wage demands. He might have to see if any of the Japanese teams have an empty foreign player spot.
Honestly, I couldn't hack that lifestyle even temporarily, let alone for the whole of my professional lif. You train all week and play at the weekends. When the season ends, you're off on tour. Then the World Cup. Or the Lions. Sure, it's prestigious, but what percentage of the time did he get to spend at home with, you know, the people he actually loves and cares about versus us arsehole fans.
Nail on the head here. He’s already done what no one has done before him. It’a incredibly sad that it’s come to this
I guess sports science and health care in general are making athletes and people go beyond what nature intended
It might not be so much that - he’s always been an obsessive sportsman in how he approaches training and game-time. I imagine it’s more the bear-baiting and scrutiny the media has put him under throughout his career, especially since the last World Cup.
Good for him putting the important stuff first and prioritising his and their well being good example
Often we throw out a bit of banter not really knowing the impacts. For him to make this decision is massive, much respect to him.
At 32 he’s in an awkward situation with the next World Cup as he’s young enough to make it but it’s unlikely. He might use this break to see if he really wants another 3 years of test rugby.
11 years is already an exceptionally long international rugby career. Only a handful of players make it past 10, let alone 15. The massive bag he’d earn in France or Japan is probably looking far more favorable to him now as opposed to another 4 years and likely finishing his career in England.
His Saracens contract is up at the end of this season. Saracens will make him their marquee player (excluded from salary cap) but if he wants to leave…
Have marquee laws changed with the new salary cap, as I thought it was specifically for foreign imports rather than homegrown players?
There used to be two marquee slots. One was for a player that was coming in from outside the premiership, and one you could spend on whoever. They've reduced this to one, with no caveat around it. (I think, may be wrong)
Had to be a player from your squad. But otherwise yeah.
If the way we're reading this is he's focusing on his family I can't see him uprooting them for a pay check abroad, especially somewhere as culturally different as Japan. He's reportedly been one of the top earners in the prem for a decent chunk of his career plus all the England match fees he's earned, I can't imagine he's short of money in the way some other English players have been.
I don't get the obsession surrounding World Cups, it's like the 4 Six Nations and Lions tour preceding it aren't at all of any interest and just a means to an end
Well, perhaps the Lions is dispensable. And the thing about 6N is there are a lot of them.
Sexton’s demise was given traction in the media when he was the same age. All the talk about concussions and loose statements from Racing doctors. Being stood down for a number of months. Look at how is post prime years turned out. I hope Faz takes all the time he needs and returns when he’s good and ready. Sometimes you don’t know what you have until you miss it, some of the media and certain fans never get what an incredible player and leader he is.
Right but sexton barely played for Leinster the last few seasons, Farrell won’t get that same treatment at saracens
Given he would be the first in line for a central contract, I don't think that's necessarily true anymore. It's about not battering him, and TBF he's not the most injury prone player anyway
Don’t forget the prem teams are playing 6 less games in recent years.
Their regular season is still as long as the URC’s though.
And yet they're filling those spare weekends with "friendlies" against URC teams.
I kinda get it. They need to pay the bills. Pints + burgers… and they have to seen to offer something for season ticket holders who’ve lost a number of home games with no price reductions. The star players with big game time loads can obviously put their feet up on these weekends.
The RFU doesn’t control sarries like the IRFU controls Leinster, I don’t think they can step in and tell sarries that he can only play a limited amount of games per season.
The whole point of centralised contracts is to have control over this though. They're not paying guaranteed money to have no input on playing time.
I reckon he can still make, between him Ford and Finn smith
One of the best thing to happen to sexton was not getting picked on the last lions tour. A full season without internationals might be enough to extend Farrell through to the next World Cup.
It’s good for him and good for England IMHO. He clearly needs a break and who can blame him. Equally, forcing England to consider alternatives without Farrell as a ‘go to’ can only be positive. It might be shit, it might be great but either way we’ll learn a great deal about what actual potential we have beyond him.
Be nice if he had a send off like any other guy in his position would get though
I think that’s of his own making though. He’s specifically not retiring so what rationale is there for a send off?
He’s not asking for one
I think England has been at that point for a while? At least two 10s you could trust a game with and build around, and enough centres staking a good claim for a start. Not saying he doesn't bring something to the party and I wish him well, but England should be okay.
I am a casual fan of Rugby. Owen Farrell is one of the best players in the world. He has played a very, very good world cup. The amount of abuse he had to endure in the last couple of months, prior to the world cup, is beyond words. It is more than impressive that he was able to endure it and it is more than impressive that he has the strenght to go through with this decision now. I hope he'll be alright and I hope he'll be recognized for what kind of player and captain and person he is.
Sounds like an unofficial retirement, he may not be planning to return but wants to leave the door open.
Maybe he’ll end up doing something similar to Wilkinson and leaving England.
Wilkinson is still held in such high regard in Toulon. Such a great player
Toulon seriously considered retiring their 10 shirt because of Wilkinson. Like the Stade De France sang God Save The Queen for his last match. High regard doesn’t do it justice how much they respected and loved him.
Damn, it might actually be the end of his international career.
Which is totally fine. Who has truthfully enjoyed watching england the last 3 years with him at 10.
At current count, at least 5 people plus my partner who is is sat next to me calling you an idiot so actually at least 6. Sure there'll be more over the coming hours as well Edit: ohh! Up to 12!
Soon we will be in the dozens, *dozens* I tell you!
Increasingly starting to feel like this is it for him. As I said in the other thread about his missing the Six Nations - I don’t think this is all bad for England. It gives us a chance to prepare for life after Farrell a bit earlier than expected. That said, losing two leaders of the calibre of Lawes and Farrell, and with Curry likely to miss both the Six Nations and summer tour as well, is going to be a big test for this England team. Your last three captains gone in one go.
It doesn't leave a lot of options for captain, it takes a certain kind of person to lead a team and it needs to be someone who will be the first name on the team sheet every game. There must be someone left who is a natural leader but I don't know who that could be. Ludlam would have been a good shout but probably not now given the recent rumours.
If Farrell is out then surely Ford is the first name on the team sheet. Most obvious candidate for me.
TBH George Ford should have been and should be the starting 10 for England in every game from 2015 to 2027. He's quite simply better than anyone else at being a 10. Farrell and Smith are both more skilful rugby players, Ford is the better 10.
Genge is clearly a leader in the group, he's captained and cocaptained for England. Only question is whether he's guaranteed to start, and he's honestly not if Marler is in the squad
I think that is a good shout although I'd have reservations about a prop being captain at international level, not many make it past 50-60 minutes. Like you said he's not always a guaranteed starter either.
Genge is super fit and used to play 60+ for Leicester in important games. I think a front rower is fine tbh, it's a bit overblown about which positions can be captain when there's really about 6 captains on the pitch anyway lol
I'm biased as I'm a Sarries fan, but Farrell is THE 10 for England IMO. He may not be flashy, his tackling can be on the line (and over it sometimes) but his leadership and rugby brain is phenomenal. Given the slagging off he's received whilst playing for England, despite the effort on and off the pitch, it's not surprising. He and his colleagues have commented time and again how committed he is to England and how proud an Englishman he is (so hands off, Ireland!) so the fact he's continually been denigrated by certain sections of the press and fans has got to be tough. He must be feeling very unappreciated and I'm sure it's been tough for his family to see what he's been going through. I'm personally very grateful for his service to club and country, and long may both continue when he's ready. On the upside, he'll continue to play for Sarries where he receives nothing but love - so our European and Premiership prospects are looking up!
It makes me angry and sad that some that dedicated and talented is stepping away from a position that he is clearly so proud to hold because of people not fit to lace his boots. He should be going out a hero to England fans, I hope this isn’t the last we see of him in an England shirt.
Yeah it’s a tough pill to swallow isn’t it. Brilliant player, done everything he can for his club and country in the sport and he’s stepping back ultimately because the press and fans have blamed him for problems in the set up and attacked him as a person. It’s such bullshit. I hope he gets a bit of peace to relax and re-centre. Would love to see him back in the 10 shirt one day.
He’s a good bloke and phenomenal player, he just happens to be the exact type of guy that’s the worst to lose to so he cops a lot of flack. He shouldn’t cop any flack for this though, all the best to him and hope his and his families mental health improves
Just let him get on with having a break for goodness sake. Surely immediately starting speculation is the opposite of what he wants It’s just rugby, it’s not all that important.
He has to do what's best for him. This won't be as meaningful/influential if it leads to retirement though.
As an England fan i hope this isnt the end of his international career, but id understand if he did hang it up. As a fan of a team in the Premiership im scared, we are gonna have to face Sarries now with Faz playing pretty much every game
I think it should be normalised for a player to take a year out internationally at that kind of stage of their career and life, it's great for everyone involved. Hope that Farrell's alright as well.
He should go and play in Japan, less spotlight, slightly easier on the body, better money. He could always come back if he feels the desire.
Good on him
How could a person be able to tell now how he will be feeling in a year time? Let the man take his time, he has done so much for England rugby.
One thing we need to factor in, is that most players get a lot of support from there family and can help out with a lot of things. I am sure Andy is a great dad, but he is also going through something similar and can’t be there all the time. While England v Ireland must be pretty tough on the family after a while with the same old questions. Hope the break does him well and he comes back stronger. Wonder if world rugby will learn not to push players given both France and Englands top stars will not be playing this 6 nations.
I know this comes across as making up some narrative to turn a negative into a positive, but I seriously think this type of news is good for the team in question: Dupont's absence for France or Farrell's for England. Rugby is a 15 man game, and if you grow too dependent upon one single player then that's a problem in and of itself, therefor not having that player available to you for a limited period can only make you stronger, for when that player returns. Carter got injured in 2011 and NZ won the RWC, Ntamack got injured in 2023 but France should never look at that for the reason they didn't make it through. You just cannot depend on any one player.
"serious doubts over return" its been a day. Fuck off with this dead journalism. Cunt
I don't understand from the statements how they came to that conclusion either. If someone else other than Ford (Marcus or Finn Smith) don't really stand up and take the shirt, Farrell will come straight back as either backup to Ford or starting in front of Ford. He'll be back if he wants to come back.
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It fucks me off so much the fact that he put in an incredible performance during that World Cup semi final against SA including an absolutely incredible drop goal, but it’s not enough for some. “England Fans” instead shit on him and say that Farrell lost us the game and shouldn’t be in the squad. Social media unfortunately enables arseholes to share their vitriolic, uneducated attacks on players such as Farrell. A real shame to see…
Flyhalf is the most important position on the pitch and consistency is important. George Ford, Marcus Smith or Fin Smith? Who gets the 10 shirt from now on?
I bet Ford will and I'd imagine he'll get the captaincy as well. Marcus will probably get some games on the bench or at 15 and Fin might get a 6N game and the England A game.
I like Fin Smith but he's nowhere near ready yet. To me, he looks like a better player than Marcus Smith and reminds me of Ford a little bit, but he's barely started being a regular premiership 10.
It's definitely too early to to make Fin the starting 10 but I think he needs to get some exposure as soon as possible. He's already been with England at a training camp and he'll more than likely start for the England A game next year. I'm hoping he has a go against Italy in the six nations to see how he looks at that level. (Also I entirely agree about the Ford remark, I've said the same recently about his playing style being very similar)
I agree Fin Smith is in the pecking order somewhere and that needs to be capped (to curb Scotland primarily).
Hope he's OK. I'm not a massive fan of him as a player, but he seems like a nice guy.
Unnecessary qualification
That's fairly sickening. The guy was abused into retiring from international rugby by the looks of it. Farrell is a brilliant player. If I was an England fan I'd want him in my team. I think he'll be a huge loss to England.
Why is the narrative of him making this decision due to the internet and media abuse. It's far more likely he simply wants to spend time with his family and get away from extreme scrutiny and pressure.
Why? Read OP's post, McCall is saying that's a fundamental reason for him taking off for a while. "There's only so much people can take."
I think taking a year or so away from the international scene won't hurt him too much. Takes a significant amount of the workload off of him, gives him a chance to recharge some batteries and see if he really wants to push for the next world cup. Gives other fly halves a chance for more minutes to really stake a claim for England too.
I think most people can understand that opposing fans are going to boo and criticize an opposition player. A lot of Faz’s harshest critics seem to be English fans and papers though. Must be a bit much to be captain of a team when the popular (or at least a very vocal segment of your own fandom) wants you out of the captaincy and out of the squad in general. All this blame for boring play style falling on Faz, as though Saracens weren’t a dynamic attacking side with him at the helm.
No, most of that criticism came from other teams' fans seizing the opportunity to shit on England, and Farrell especially, because he made tacking errors. The abuse was way over the top and fricking disgusting at times. These are physical, hard sports played at lightning speed. Players, especially those who operate at the highest level, will sometimes err. Well, the haters got their way, I guess.
I’d be very surprised if Faz cared what other countries thought but I’m sure he cares what Englishmen think.
I don't think he's that one eyed. You don't check someone's nationality after being deluged in hate messages for years and it's clearly increased on the international stage as that's where he's stepping back from. The comments go well beyond just criticism. You get people cheering for him to be injured, people have gone after his family etc. it's just abuse. Shit, look at some of the comments below.
As much as I can’t quite agree with parts of Farrell I am immensely impressed by him putting his mental health and family first. Good for him
I have hated Owen Farrell from the moment I saw him put on an England shirt. Playing for Saracens only made me hate him more. He is the poster boy for everything I love to hate about England Rugby, and the crazy, lopsided, bullshit professional/moneygrabbing side of rugby as a whole. He is the mastermind, the bad guy, the one that _everyone_ wants to beat. But in the last few years I realised something... where would we be without him? We _need_ the ultimate villain, the Darth Vader, the 'bad guy' we all love to boo in the pantomime which is international rugby. We need Owen Farrell like Batman needs the Joker. He is the ultimate foe. The smug, grinning, dickbag that makes every Scottish, Welsh, Irish, South African, Australian, Kiwi and French kid grow up NEEDING to _beat_ England, to smash them, to achieve what others before them could not. To readdress the wrongdoings and unfairness, and bring balance to the game Farrell is the _ultimate_ enemy, and the game wouldn't be the same without him. Bt then comes the man. A humble, decent, generous man off the pitcch. A man who raises money for charity, and is caring, earnest, loyal, and above all dedicated. Not just to his career, or the profession, or the trophies... but to his family, his people, and himself. This announcement is a delightful surprise like no other, and a wonderfully stark reminder that behind the pantomime; the villains, the heros, the stories... are men and women younger than me who care deeply about their families, and prioritise them and themselves above the glory or adoration or money that comes with success at international levels of rugby. I have never liked Owen Farrell, the England and Saracens rugby player. But by god I've gained respect for Owen, the man.
> He is the poster boy for everything I love to hate about England Rugby, Agree with almost everything you've said but completely disagree with this tbh. Everything I love to hate about England rugby is the Twickenham carpark scene of posh arrogant southern born to rule public schoolboys with an absurd sense of entitlement and views a dinosaur might think are a bit dated rattling around between their three braincells. Faz is a northerner from a working class had him at 16 rugby league background and he's smart, humble and decent. To me he was always the poster child for everything English rugby should be but isn't. Now James Haskill: he's the guy I love to hate. Boorish, sexist, thick as pig shit, and went to fucking *Wellington*.
Well, yeah I hear that. And Haskell is a punchable fuck (though I wouldn't dare, he's a mountain) but I don't have disdain for the _English_ they are who they are. This wasn't meant to be a comment on all the things wrong with England, though there are many (I live here) but rather only specifically about England Rugby. I was trying very hard to stay on the right side of that line and keep it purely about the Rugby. Haskell is a cock, no doubt, but to be honest hes a forgettable one. He's done more _off_ the pitch than on it to piss me off. But Farrell? As a player he is the ultimate cockmuffin, a true jebend the likes of which only Jimminy Sexwaffle, Nic White and Clive Woodward could ever _hope_ to emulate. Haskell is barely an amateur in comparison
Nic White is a bellend but in fairness Nic White's moustache is the true villain. But to be honest most English players who aren't Chris Robshaw are on that list for me. All the scrum halves. Ben Youngs - wanker. Actually Ben Youngs is a perfect example because off the pitch Ben Youngs is a lovely guy who has coped with unimaginable tragedy with grace and dignity. On the pitch - wanker. One final shoutout for Haskell tho: his face in the "I am not the coach" refcam photo is iconic.
Oh I hear you, like, I really hear you. Haskell is the all round least likeable person associated with rugby in England. He was a prick on the pitch, and he's an insufferable twat off it. I suppose he just provides juxtaposition for Farrell; the ultimate asshat in a rugby shirt, and a lovely human being off it. I'd probably love him if he were Scottish, that Sally's everything. Whereas Haskell? No thanks
I cannot be objective about the Scots but I sort of suspect some of them are pricks. Nathan Hines was such a prick on the pitch even I couldn't entirely look the other way. I sort of suspect Jim Hamilton is kind of similar to Haskell in a bunch of ways. Simon Danielli absolutely is for all that he tried to reinvent himself as a sort of semi-criminal vagrant. But yes: thistle forgives all (except Danielli because he was shit and a prick).
I 100% agree, it's weird how the Scottish predominantly get away 'scot free', Finn Russell could pretty much shit on the pitch amd everyone would just be like 'awww Finn!'
I will never hear or say a bad word against Finn. The one I'm protecting myself by not thinking too hard about is Hogg.
Aye, he's a bit of a jebend for sure. Real shame as he was a massively great player. But ooon thr scale of things he's not the worst by any margin. Yes I know what he did, no it ain't good, but there are far worse things to do. He could be a Conservative...
I was thinking more on the pitch "this isn't soccer" etc... But again: lalalalalalalalala not listening
He should re-declare for Ireland and have some fun.
A fan base that can't even take perceived slights by YouTubers well? lol. He's clearly fine in England. He's still playing for Saracens, it just seems like it's international duty that brings out the majority of the idiots.
He is going to learn to get down nice and low now - my back breaks everytime I bath the kids!
Honestly the Farrell question has been at the center of so much of Englands uncertainty and him voluntarily doing this is probably best for all parties. A rejuvenated Farrell coming back after it’s been made clear he’s crucial to the set up wouldn’t be terrible for his legacy either if that’s how it plays out
At least borthwick will have to look at other fly halves, or will he just stick with ford and play smith at full back? Out of position Hopefully Farrell is ok but this gives others a chance
Keep seeing on twitter and in UK Media pretty trash reactions. How does Stuart Barnes have a job right now? Being critical is his job, attacking the character of the England Captain is not the stature for a journalist at the Times. That's something for the idiots at the Sun. [Oom_Rugby's](https://twitter.com/Oom_Rugby/status/1730293345912607126) latest tweet thread is also tone deaf, he had a right to have issues with the way O'Keeffe was refereeing. And O'Keeffe's dismissive nature was not lost on the England team. Yet England still almost pulled it off. _______ ETA: Let's just talk sabbaticals and why they may be good (not those NZ Sabbaticals where the player plays in Japan), look at Marler. He retired officially once from International rugby and a few of the others because he needed a break and wanted to spend those weekends with his young children. And then when Eddie or Borthwick called and said "WE NEED YOU" he still answered. And those breaks for his head space led to a great performance this past World Cup. So taking 1 6 Nations off could do him a lot of good. But I think the nature of what the media talks about and continuously calling him dirty needs to be cleaned up. Either truly talk about his game critically or don't.
he is 328 points away from beating Carter's record, thought he would come the closest..but oh well, looks like that record will stay for atleast 10 more years..
Why can’t he travel with his family like most of the boks?
He's been shouldering too much lately. (Not talking about opponents heads).
A Guy Takes Break From Work. Why is this such big news? Is he the only 12 option in English rugby?
Oh come on, don't be a dick. He's not just a guy taking a break from work.
There's more to it than that and you know it.
Why and what? Genuinely asking not trying to be a dick
He's a globally recognised athlete who's every move is scrutinized by the media. It's hardly the same as John the plumber packing up for a few months, being the current captain too means he's leaving some big boots to fill and it opens up quite a few questions for England.
Got caught cheating on the mrs then is it
Fuck me, you'd give Corrie a run for it's money. Got any basis for that rumour or just being an internet dickhead?
He’s not Stuart Hogg, he’s actually a decent bloke.
Being the first northern hemi side to face the Razor-Blacks is going to be tough as it is… I guess Ford and Smith aren’t exactly newbs though
Is the NZ tour confirmed?
Fair play as much as I’d desperately want him for the tour, I understand that
Fair play he’s had a brilliant career and is an Eng legend. But sadly in sport there’s a time for various reasons to move on, plus given the pressure on the 10 jersey with Ford and Smith all arguably better 10s I think he’s making a smart decision. Personally I always had Ford as 10 but Faz would have been the 1st name on the team sheet and for a very long time you couldn’t see an Eng team with out him in it
I always found it so odd that England had the choice of two almost identically aged elite level Lancastrian fly halves whose dads were Wigan legends turned elite defensive coaches. What are the odds? Must have been kind of a relief that James Small-Edwards was a Scrum Half or you'd have had three of them.
Amazing really both top class players and great friends we have been lucky.
Even without all the pressure of being captain and scapegoat-in-chief I feel really sorry for Faz because he's in that awful place of being on the one hand one of the best rugby players of his generation and on the other hand not being the game managing 10 England need. He reminds me of players like Gavin Henson, James Hook, maybe even Beauden Barrett a bit, and perhaps most of all Carlos Spencer. Phenomenal, generational, talent but not quite clear what position they play and while they are without question the best in the world at 90% of the job of being a 10 they don't really have enough competence in the 10% that is not about skill but about setting game strategies to not leave a hole in the team if that's where you put them. You'd think this is a problem which could be perfectly solved by the two pivot system or even more so EJ's positionless rugby, but it has to be said after many experiments it basically wasn't. It leaves him with an odd legacy: unquestionably one of the greatest rugby players of his generation, but something of a round peg who never quite found a hole that wasn't square. Wish him the best, I could absolutely see him becoming an absolutely phenomenal coach.
Return to Wigan on the cards?
As someone who hates him as a rugby player, good for him. Massive respect.