The nature of Owen Farrell’s international debut says so much about why he’s England’s main man
Owen Farrell is without a doubt the main man in English rugby. He was instrumental in England’s successful World Cup campaign in the Autumn and he is central to everything that is good about the English game. The nature of this performance is so interesting to see.
Footage of his England debut was released online this week and it says a great deal about why the man has been so successful for England.
Farrell was just 21-years-old in this video and he started at 12 for the men in white against the Auld Enemy at Murrayfield.
Farrell made a massive stir over the World Cup for his reaction to the New Zealand…
Royal Mail need to print Owen Farrell’s reaction to The Haka on commemorative stamps pic.twitter.com/iUxQcaTwuU
— Will (@IamWillSCFC) October 26, 2019
To give some context to this game, England had just come out of a disastrous 2011 World Cup campaign, rife with controversy and poor performances.
New coach Stuart Lancaster was brought in to change the culture around the team after Martin Johnson failed to succeed as head coach of the team.
The likes of Chris Robshaw and Owen Farrell were making their debuts in this match against Scotland.
What truly amazed us was the performance that Farrell put in at 12 for England at just 21 years of age. The Saracens youngster was assured under the ball and was even the placekicker for England on this day.
Despite an early miss on his first kick, the rest of the performance was flawless.
It’s rare for players to perform like this on a debut performance and this could suggest why he is such a mainstay in the England team. The nature of this play from such a young player just goes to show the mindset of this player, and you don’t see this in many leaders.
For the past 4 years, Farrell has been central to everything in the national side and it’s because his leadership is never questioned.
Here is the full video of his debut. This is a brilliant example of what a player should be on their first game. Composed, focused and clinical.
