Owen Farrell going to the Racing92

[laurent]

First is was Sexton, now one of the most disliked player might go to one of the most disliked Top14 club.
Might be fun when I’ll kick a penalty at Toulon or Bayonne.

trolling made an art

[sockwithaticket]

https://www.racing92.fr/article/communi ... rell/33439

Racing denying it.

[SaintK]

With what he's faced in England, France and everywhere else, I'm not sure it will bother him too much
Great move if true.
Who is Racing's 10 since Russell moved on?

[SaintK]

https://www.racing92.fr/article/communi ... rell/33439

Racing denying it.

Shame
I wonder what started that one running?

[Ovals]

https://www.racing92.fr/article/communi ... rell/33439

Racing denying it.

Shame
I wonder what started that one running?

They've only denied that he's signed - not that they are close to an agreement.

[SaintK]

https://www.racing92.fr/article/communi ... rell/33439

Racing denying it.

Shame
I wonder what started that one running?

They've only denied that he's signed - not that they are close to an agreement.

Hmmm intriguing

[Uncle fester]

https://www.racing92.fr/article/communi ... rell/33439

Racing denying it.

Isn't there a rule in France that they can't announce signings before a certain date?

Zebo signing for racing was denied at first and I have a vague recollection that Sexton's was as well.

[Uncle fester]

First is was Sexton, now one of the most disliked player might go to one of the most disliked Top14 club.
Might be fun when I’ll kick a penalty at Toulon or Bayonne.

Really?
Thought it was Stade F, Toulon or Montpellier?

[ASMO]

Arundell will be happy, no love lost between those two

[laurent]

First is was Sexton, now one of the most disliked player might go to one of the most disliked Top14 club.
Might be fun when I’ll kick a penalty at Toulon or Bayonne.

Really?
Thought it was Stade F, Toulon or Montpellier?

Montpellier is loathed the others not really...

[laurent]

Really?
Thought it was Stade F, Toulon or Montpellier?

Montpellier still one of them, Toulon use to be at the time of the “Galactics”with Laporte ( ex FFR prez) as a coach and the ex owner.

I forgot, last month Montpellier hired Laporte as the rugby director, what can go wrong?

the crooks are home to roost

[inactionman]

Arundell will be happy, no love lost between those two

Excellent, scare Henry back over the channel to Bath, merci beaucoup Owen.

[boere wors]

Playing abroad makes him ineligible for England selection, no?! Or is there a Giteau law or similar?!

[Margin__Walker]

Playing abroad makes him ineligible for England selection, no?! Or is there a Giteau law or similar?!

Correct. He'd be ineligible

[Gumboot]

Who is the most carded test captain to date?

Farrell has to be in contention. As does Sam Cane...

[Brazil]

Who is the most carded test captain to date?

Farrell has to be in contention. As does Sam Cane...

STOP BULLYING HIM YOU BEAST

[Rhubarb & Custard]

Who is the most carded test captain to date?

Farrell has to be in contention. As does Sam Cane...

Parisse or Hooper seem likely contenders, a position likely to see a player pushing the boundaries in many instances and lots of games as captain. By rights McCaw would be on the list but for 'reasons' he was mostly ignored by referees

Pretty sure Farrell would be up there as a 10/12. And actually like McCaw he should have had a good few more

[ASMO]

Racing rethinking their offer....that was utter dogshit

[Guy Smiley]

By rights McCaw would be on the list but for 'reasons' he was mostly ignored by referees

I like this game. Name them.

[Tichtheid]

By rights McCaw would be on the list but for 'reasons' he was mostly ignored by referees

I like this game. Name them.

I don’t subscribe to the Rutchie’s invisibility cloak theory, he is the GOAT because he played right on the line of legality, he knew the laws and played to them.
He seldom, if ever, had a poor game from what I saw. I watched the ‘Saders a lot at that time, sadly Highlanders were my team.

[assfly]

Honestly, just let him go. And do away with this ridiculous policy of not picking overseas players.

[ASMO]

Honestly, just let him go. And do away with this ridiculous policy of not picking overseas players.

Noooooooooo.....that would make him eligible again!!!

[assfly]

Noooooooooo.....that would make him eligible again!!!

I can't stand the guy, but he's one of the best players England have ever produced.

Having said that, this 6N does seem like the perfect opportunity to give the 10 jersey to Smith and build a gameplan around him that suits his style of play.

[petej]

Noooooooooo.....that would make him eligible again!!!

I can't stand the guy, but he's one of the best players England have ever produced.

Having said that, this 6N does seem like the perfect opportunity to give the 10 jersey to Smith and build a gameplan around him that suits his style of play.

Him and Ben Youngs are England greats of the last 12 or so years.

[Uncle fester]

Noooooooooo.....that would make him eligible again!!!

I can't stand the guy, but he's one of the best players England have ever produced.

Having said that, this 6N does seem like the perfect opportunity to give the 10 jersey to Smith and build a gameplan around him that suits his style of play.

[Mahoney]

If the media, coaches and players had spent less time gaslighting us that he's The Greatest Ever Thing Ever Greatest Ever, No Really, A Cross Between Dan Carter and Willie John McBride But Better Than That when we were all watching the games and could see he wasn't, I suspect there'd be less of a reaction against him.

He's... OK. Bit too slow to be particularly worrying ball in hand, though every 5 internationals or so he picks a really good line; stands a touch too deep against the top sides to be really threatening; passing is so-so, the odd good one, the odd poor one; kicking from hand also so-so. Tactically he'll do what he's told reliably, not too hot at changing it up or spotting an opportunity that would be worth changing the plan for (why hello there kicking the ball away in the last third when you have an overlap). Defensively prone to the odd gaffe, which he then tries to make amends for by putting in a big hit of dubious legality (another baffling aspect of his career is how often he got away with these, though increasingly it's getting picked up).

He's certainly not noticeably better than his contemporaries like Biggar, Russell or Sexton. Nowhere near as good as 2000-2003 Wilkinson, let alone 2005-2015 Dan Carter. I'd put him at about Rob Andrew levels - good solid international, no-one (apart from Bill McLaren) going to call him an all time great. Which makes all the "greatest player England have ever produced" stuff just really weird. But then it started really early - in 2012 he was one of 4 nominations for Player of the Year, and I remember at the time thinking "WTF?". It's like the entire rugby establishment just decided that Rugby needed a Wilkinson replacement figure for England and settled on him and have resolutely refused to budge from the insistence that he's wearing lovely new kit no matter how many times we watch him starkers on the field.

He may have been the best option at 10/12 for England this last decade; certainly both Ford & Smith, despite occasionally offering more, have had genuinely bad internationals to balance it out. But why this translates into this bizarre eulogising I do not understand. It seems telling that so much of it has nothing to do with his actual play. So much about what a leader he is, and how inspiring he is, and how humble he is, and how great he is to coach, and how hard he works.

This current thing seems like a weird over-reaction too - all this abuse everyone keeps banging on about, he's not actually on social media is he? One or two journalists briefly flirted, in the most delicate way they could, with acknowledging he isn't actually the messiah during the World Cup, but that's not abuse. Generally he's been positively pampered by the press. I've been much more aware of the endless "leave him alone, it's disgraceful how some fans and press are treating England's greatest ever" articles than of the abuse they claim to be outraged about.

I wonder if the ludicrous amount of smoke he gets blown up his arse is actually the source of his unhappiness as well. Either because he has the self-awareness to know it's absurd (an entire decade of being given praise you know you don't deserve has got to be psychologically sapping), or because he doesn't and so has been completely blind-sided by discovering there are people who don't think he's God's gift to rugby.

[Slick]

If the media, coaches and players had spent less time gaslighting us that he's The Greatest Ever Thing Ever Greatest Ever, No Really, A Cross Between Dan Carter and Willie John McBride But Better Than That when we were all watching the games and could see he wasn't, I suspect there'd be less of a reaction against him.

He's... OK. Bit too slow to be particularly worrying ball in hand, though every 5 internationals or so he picks a really good line; stands a touch too deep against the top sides to be really threatening; passing is so-so, the odd good one, the odd poor one; kicking from hand also so-so. Tactically he'll do what he's told reliably, not too hot at changing it up or spotting an opportunity that would be worth changing the plan for (why hello there kicking the ball away in the last third when you have an overlap). Defensively prone to the odd gaffe, which he then tries to make amends for by putting in a big hit of dubious legality (another baffling aspect of his career is how often he got away with these, though increasingly it's getting picked up).

He's certainly not noticeably better than his contemporaries like Biggar, Russell or Sexton. Nowhere near as good as 2000-2003 Wilkinson, let alone 2005-2015 Dan Carter. I'd put him at about Rob Andrew levels - good solid international, no-one (apart from Bill McLaren) going to call him an all time great. Which makes all the "greatest player England have ever produced" stuff just really weird. But then it started really early - in 2012 he was one of 4 nominations for Player of the Year, and I remember at the time thinking "WTF?". It's like the entire rugby establishment just decided that Rugby needed a Wilkinson replacement figure for England and settled on him and have resolutely refused to budge from the insistence that he's wearing lovely new kit no matter how many times we watch him starkers on the field.

He may have been the best option at 10/12 for England this last decade; certainly both Ford & Smith, despite occasionally offering more, have had genuinely bad internationals to balance it out. But why this translates into this bizarre eulogising I do not understand. It seems telling that so much of it has nothing to do with his actual play. So much about what a leader he is, and how inspiring he is, and how humble he is, and how great he is to coach, and how hard he works.

This current thing seems like a weird over-reaction too - all this abuse everyone keeps banging on about, he's not actually on social media is he? One or two journalists briefly flirted, in the most delicate way they could, with acknowledging he isn't actually the messiah during the World Cup, but that's not abuse. Generally he's been positively pampered by the press. I've been much more aware of the endless "leave him alone, it's disgraceful how some fans and press are treating England's greatest ever" articles than of the abuse they claim to be outraged about.

I wonder if the ludicrous amount of smoke he gets blown up his arse is actually the source of his unhappiness as well. Either because he has the self-awareness to know it's absurd (an entire decade of being given praise you know you don't deserve has got to be psychologically sapping), or because he doesn't and so has been completely blind-sided by discovering there are people who don't think he's God's gift to rugby.

racist

[sockwithaticket]

Absolutely spot on, Mahoney.

[Oxbow]

Spoiler

Show

If the media, coaches and players had spent less time gaslighting us that he's The Greatest Ever Thing Ever Greatest Ever, No Really, A Cross Between Dan Carter and Willie John McBride But Better Than That when we were all watching the games and could see he wasn't, I suspect there'd be less of a reaction against him.

He's... OK. Bit too slow to be particularly worrying ball in hand, though every 5 internationals or so he picks a really good line; stands a touch too deep against the top sides to be really threatening; passing is so-so, the odd good one, the odd poor one; kicking from hand also so-so. Tactically he'll do what he's told reliably, not too hot at changing it up or spotting an opportunity that would be worth changing the plan for (why hello there kicking the ball away in the last third when you have an overlap). Defensively prone to the odd gaffe, which he then tries to make amends for by putting in a big hit of dubious legality (another baffling aspect of his career is how often he got away with these, though increasingly it's getting picked up).

He's certainly not noticeably better than his contemporaries like Biggar, Russell or Sexton. Nowhere near as good as 2000-2003 Wilkinson, let alone 2005-2015 Dan Carter. I'd put him at about Rob Andrew levels - good solid international, no-one (apart from Bill McLaren) going to call him an all time great. Which makes all the "greatest player England have ever produced" stuff just really weird. But then it started really early - in 2012 he was one of 4 nominations for Player of the Year, and I remember at the time thinking "WTF?". It's like the entire rugby establishment just decided that Rugby needed a Wilkinson replacement figure for England and settled on him and have resolutely refused to budge from the insistence that he's wearing lovely new kit no matter how many times we watch him starkers on the field.

He may have been the best option at 10/12 for England this last decade; certainly both Ford & Smith, despite occasionally offering more, have had genuinely bad internationals to balance it out. But why this translates into this bizarre eulogising I do not understand. It seems telling that so much of it has nothing to do with his actual play. So much about what a leader he is, and how inspiring he is, and how humble he is, and how great he is to coach, and how hard he works.

This current thing seems like a weird over-reaction too - all this abuse everyone keeps banging on about, he's not actually on social media is he? One or two journalists briefly flirted, in the most delicate way they could, with acknowledging he isn't actually the messiah during the World Cup, but that's not abuse. Generally he's been positively pampered by the press. I've been much more aware of the endless "leave him alone, it's disgraceful how some fans and press are treating England's greatest ever" articles than of the abuse they claim to be outraged about.

I wonder if the ludicrous amount of smoke he gets blown up his arse is actually the source of his unhappiness as well. Either because he has the self-awareness to know it's absurd (an entire decade of being given praise you know you don't deserve has got to be psychologically sapping), or because he doesn't and so has been completely blind-sided by discovering there are people who don't think he's God's gift to rugby.

Toga will angerwank himself raw over that.

[Tichtheid]

The Bill McLaren picking Rob Andrew in his All-Time team is really weird, there were a few picks where you can go, “oh I think Blanco should be in there,” or you could say “Sella, Shirely? “ Jonah would always be in my team, always. But I can see them all as close calls and a fun discussion.

But Rob Andrew is a real wtf?

[petej]

Excellent post Mahoney. The recent Racing Farrell circus and abuse stuff is just an English rugby media circle jerk. If Farrells not on social media I bet Farrells media fluffers got a shitload of stick.

One of the most obvious things with Farrell is that he struggles as a lone playmaker at 10. Astonishing how many top coaches have tried though, some multiple times (Gatland, Jones, Lancaster) only to have to recall Sexton or Ford. McCall has always tended to have a second playmaker on the field to support him. England playing Smith out of position at 15 was all about covering Farrells playmaking deficiencies. Farrell is a good player but not the messiah. I often wonder how the media would have treated the same player if his appearance hadn't been so appealing to them.

[sockwithaticket]

Excellent post Mahoney. The recent Racing Farrell circus and abuse stuff is just an English rugby media circle jerk. If Farrells not on social media I bet Farrells media fluffers got a shitload of stick.

One of the most obvious things with Farrell is that he struggles as a lone playmaker at 10. Astonishing how many top coaches have tried though, some multiple times (Gatland, Jones, Lancaster) only to have to recall Sexton or Ford. McCall has always tended to have a second playmaker on the field to support him. England playing Smith out of position at 15 was all about covering Farrells playmaking deficiencies. Farrell is a good player but not the messiah. I often wonder how the media would have treated the same player if his appearance hadn't been so appealing to them.

Sarries have often had two additional playmakers to help him out in recent years with various involvements from Goode, Lozowski, Malins and Daly.

[Uncle fester]

Excellent post Mahoney. The recent Racing Farrell circus and abuse stuff is just an English rugby media circle jerk. If Farrells not on social media I bet Farrells media fluffers got a shitload of stick.

One of the most obvious things with Farrell is that he struggles as a lone playmaker at 10. Astonishing how many top coaches have tried though, some multiple times (Gatland, Jones, Lancaster) only to have to recall Sexton or Ford. McCall has always tended to have a second playmaker on the field to support him. England playing Smith out of position at 15 was all about covering Farrells playmaking deficiencies. Farrell is a good player but not the messiah. I often wonder how the media would have treated the same player if his appearance hadn't been so appealing to them.

Sarries have often had two additional playmakers to help him out in recent years with various involvements from Goode, Lozowski, Malins and Daly.

In fairness, most teams do that now.
Trouble with Farrell is that he has the technical ability to deliver good passes but can't seem to "see" the best available passes. He is a hoor for giving a pass to a lad who gets run directly into heavy traffic. Ford is much better at giving a sympathetic pass that gives the receiver something to work with.

[petej]

Some teams do it but not all. It is necessity with Farrell but for Ford, Sexton and Russell it isn't.

Farrells weight of pass and timing of passes to draw defender's isn't as good as the others. He can also end being along way from the 9 and very deep. Youngs and Care have never been super passers of the ball but standing really deep and a long way away makes their life difficult and I've seen both get caught while looking for Farrell. Farrell isn’t bad at the above and way better than many 10s in the premiership he's just not really good at it.

[ASMO]

Some teams do it but not all. It is necessity with Farrell but for Ford, Sexton and Russell it isn't.

Farrells weight of pass and timing of passes to draw defender's isn't as good as the others. He can also end being along way from the 9 and very deep. Youngs and Care have never been super passers of the ball but standing really deep and a long way away makes their life difficult and I've seen both get caught while looking for Farrell. Farrell isn’t bad at the above and way better than many 10s in the premiership he's just not really good at it.

He throws a damned good intercept mind you

[Rhubarb & Custard]

either a slight misunderstanding around passing into space, or just an utter balls up with that pass that hits Brown's shoulder. we didn't get many chances that game, and that chance was absolutely butchered for no good reason

[Paddington Bear]

Good luck to him. Head seems to have completely gone recently so a good time for a change. Hope it works out for him and his family

[Big D]

Good for him. He and Saracens have been good for each other and now it's time to experience something new before retirement.

[Hal Jordan]

The Walrus has already penned two years' worth of articles lamentating about how England miss him.

[JM2K6]

Good luck to him. Head seems to have completely gone recently so a good time for a change. Hope it works out for him and his family

I think it's fair to say the rot set in about 12 months ago, really, with his inexplicable loss of form with the boot, which he never really regained, and it seemed to affect the rest of his game around the same time he started really producing some poor performances for England. Took a while for his Saracens play to drop off given how good they were last season but as they're more mortal this time round (unless you're Quins ) he's really struggled in a way we've not consistently seen at club level for a very, very long time.

So either way it's a good move for someone - either he's lost it and Saracens are freeing up everything in order to rejuvenate themselves, or Racing are just the ticket for him to enjoy playing rugby again and find his form in a potentially world class team.