Owen Farrell Forced To Step Back From Rugby After Struggling Start At Racing 92
12/07/2024 04:50 AM
Former England captain Owen Farrell has been stood down from rugby after undergoing surgery for a groin injury, his club Racing 92 confirmed last month.
Farrell, whose last act in an England jersey came during the 2023 Rugby World Cup third-place playoff, has found life in the Top 14 challenging. Despite starting in eight of Racing's nine matches this season, his form has been under scrutiny.
The fly-half's woes deepened when he was substituted after just 32 minutes in Racing's recent clash against Pau. Initially, he began the season as Racing's first-choice goalkicker but lost that role to scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec, with the club citing a thigh issue as the cause.
Racing's statement emphasised their support for Farrell during his recovery, stating, "The whole of the medical and sporting staff will accompany him throughout his recovery to ensure that he makes the best possible recuperation."
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The Owen Farrell story
A stalwart of English rugby, Farrell boasts an illustrious career. With 115 caps for England and over 1,200 points to his name, he is the nation's second-highest all-time scorer. Farrell has captained England on numerous occasions, including their 2019 Rugby World Cup final run and the 2023 tournament, where they secured third place.
At club level, Farrell was the cornerstone of Saracens' domestic and European dominance, winning five Premiership titles and three Champions Cups. His move to Racing 92 marked a new chapter, but injuries and adaptation challenges have cast a shadow over his Top 14 journey so far.
Whether Farrell's surgery will spark a resurgence remains to be seen, but Racing and England fans alike will hope to see their playmaker back to his best soon.
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Owen Farrell called out former England teammate, thinks he is a 'posh c***'
England fly-half Owen Farrell is never afraid of sharing an opinion or two – especially when it's about someone he doesn't particularly like.
#1. Dave Attwood
The Bath lock won the last of his 24 caps for England back in 2016, which could have a lot to do with his relationship with the current England captain.
“He had a bit of a shout at me and went off to the toilet and I followed him.
"We all had a drink or two after the game but we didn't need to get carried away with this. I was in the urinal behind the door and he was three or four down and as I got in his dad walked in as well, he was coaching at the time. He was, 'I don't want to fuckin' hear it' or something like that and as he walked out he went to open the door and slam it into the back of me. There was like a stop on the floor so it hit the stop and almost clocked him back…
"We never really addressed it after that. That was where it started and it was like a drunken little bit of argy that went too far. He is an incredibly competitive athlete and he is also very f**kin' good, he has got high standards. He is a very competitive athlete and in order to be that good, you have to flirt on the wrong side of competitive.
"So whenever we play each other there is always some element in the game where one of us is running at the other one or we are trying to bang each other. There always seems to be an element of that to it. I am sure he is like, I don't even know that Dave is playing."
#2. Ryan Wilson
Wilson later revealed he was banned from Twickenham following the incident.
"I remember that game, I was actually injured and after tunnel-gate, after everything that happened in the tunnel against England, I'd lined up a corporate gig at Twickenham," he recalled to Rugby Pass in November.
"Had it all lined up, a little bit of cash, all excited, only to get a message back saying the RFU have banned you from Twickenham Stadium after everything that happened the year before.
#3. Faf de Klerk
Farrell and De Klerk ended up at arm's length from each other in 2018 during their summer tour just before the 20-minute mark and the rest of the two sides quickly joined in.
The pair have since clashes on multiple occasions, including during the World Cup final a year later. Klerk is clearly someone who gets under the England skippers skin and their appears to be little love lost between the pair.
Speaking about the pair, Tom Curry said they are ‘very different characters’.
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