The strange England training drill that leaves Owen Farrell in mortal danger
The suspensions handed to England and Saracens duo Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola this week for virtually the exact same illegal tackle must have left plenty of fans out there questioning what on Earth the England are team doing in training day to day to produce tackles like that during a match.
Well England fans got a little glimpse this week, and it is not what many people would have expected. In the latest episode of O2 Inside Line | This Rose, lock Ollie Chessum was shown doing some tackling practice in quite a unique way. The best way to describe the drill was hitting tackle bags from inside a gazebo with a washing line wrapped around it at chest height. In order to make the tackle, Chessum had to duck under the washing line first. Simple.
This looks like an interesting drill, but one that could potentially put captain Farrell in mortal danger. It is all well and good for the few England players that are willing to tackle below head height, but for a player like Farrell who seems physically incapable of bending his legs and hips, this drill is fraught with peril.
The dangers for Farrell range from a gazebo collapsing on him to being completely decapitated as he fails to duck under the washing line. England have looked dreadful so far this August, but having your captain accidentally decapitated in training would only make matters worse heading into the World Cup.
No one outside the England camp knows whether Farrell has attempted this drill before, but for his own safety he has clearly skipped it in recent seasons, meaning England pay a heavy price as a result with his slew of red cards.
As dangerous as it is, Steve Borthwick will be begging the fly-half to give the drill ago over the coming weeks as he sits out England’s matches against Fiji, Argentina and Japan. Most people would have thought he has learnt his lesson and will be working on his tackle technique. Then again, nothing has taught him that lesson in the past.
Take a look at the drill:
