FOOTAGE: Ex-Ireland player who got tackled by Owen Farrell says his hits are ‘phenomenal’
Ex-Ireland centre says he’s been on the receiving end of an Owen Farrell and says he ‘packs a punch’ but wonder why the England centre insists on using no-arm hits.
CREDIT: Off the Ball
Saracens bio: After switching codes from rugby league, Owen made his Saracens debut in 2008 at just 17, the youngest player at the time to have ever played professional rugby union in England. His breakthrough came in the 2010/11 season, when he was brought back from a dual registration deal at Bedford Blues as injury cover, and capitalised on his chance at first team rugby.
His debut season with Sarries saw him round off a series of sublime performances with a flawless kicking display against Leicester Tigers to help Saracens win their maiden Premiership title. Owen’s continual excellence at club level continued through subsequent seasons, guiding Saracens to back-to-back European Cup and Premiership titles, as well as an Anglo-Welsh triumph.
Farrell’s domestic success has also been replicated in his international game, which has gone from strength to strength. Earning his first senior England cap in 2012, a year rounded off by a resounding win over the All Blacks at Twickenham, he was also a recipient of an IRB Player of the Year nomination alongside two New Zealand legends- Richie McCaw and Dan Carter.
Since firmly establishing himself as one of the leading lights in the professional game, Owen has amassed over 150 caps for Saracens, over 50 caps for England and in 2013 became a British and Irish Lion for the first time, replicating the feat again on the 2017 tour.
His stellar career thus far has seen him various individual accolades, including the Anthony Foley Memorial Trophy as he was named the EPCR European Player of the Year in 2017 after the club’s memorable win over Clermont-Auvergne in Edinburgh. He has become one of the greats of world rugby and a key cog in Saracens’ current period of success.
