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England skipper Owen Farrell has shrugged off latest injury scare

31 Mar 2023

(Photo by Rob Newell/CameraSport via Getty Images)

Saracens’ optimism regarding last weekend’s injury suffered by England skipper Owen Farrell has paid off as the out-half has recovered quickly enough to be named in an unchanged XV for this Sunday’s Heineken Champions Cup round-of-16 game at home to Ospreys.

Farrell limped off with an ankle injury in the 70th minute of last Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership victory over Harlequins, but the England captain has made a rapid recovery.

Farrell had cried out in pain after rolling his left ankle while making a tackle close to Saracens’ try line at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and hobbled off. The 31-year-old fly-half had injured the same joint while on England duty in the final stage of the Guinness Six Nations, raising concerns that an aggravation might have caused more significant damage.

However, it was Wednesday when Saracens boss Mark McCall reported: “Owen took part in some of the training today [Wednesday], so we are relatively optimistic that he will be available for this weekend.” So it has proved, Saracens now naming an unchanged starting line-up.

SARACENS: 15. Alex Goode; 14. Max Malins, 13. Alex Lozowski, 12. Nick Tompkins, 11. Sean Maitland; 10. Owen Farrell (capt), 9. Ivan van Zyl; 1. Mako Vunipola, 2. Jamie George, 3. Marco Riccioni, 4. Maro Itoje, 5. Hugh Tizard, 6. Andrew Christie, 7. Ben Earl, 8. Billy Vunipola. Reps: 16. Tom Woolstencroft, 17. Eroni Mawi, 18. Alec Clarey, 19. Nick Isiekwe, 20. Jackson Wray, 21. Aled Davies, 22. Duncan Taylor, 23. Alex Lewington.

OSPREYS: 15. Mike Collins; 14. George North, 13. Owen Watkin, 12. Kieran Williams, 11. Luke Morgan; 10. Owen Williams, 9. Rhys Webb; 1. Nicky Smith, 2. Sam Parry, 3. Tom Francis, 4. Adam Beard, 5. Alun Wyn Jones, 6. Ethan Roots, 7. Justin Tipuric (capt), 8. Morgan Morris. Reps: 16. Dewi Lake, 17. Gareth Thomas, 18. Tom Botha, 19. Rhys Davies, 20. Dan Lydiate, 21. Reuben Morgan-Williams, 22. Gareth Anscombe, 23. Iestyn Hopkins.

Click here to see all the team selections across this weekend’s Heineken Champions Cup round-of-16 matches

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Comments on RugbyPass

TM 21 minutes ago

'Gutted' Joe Schmidt makes feelings clear over match-deciding call

Imagine the media outcry if Rassie Erasmus had made the Joe Schmidt comment about the referee. Give him a three match ban.

Tizzano is there first by less than 1/2 second, only because he came in from the side then moved his left leg behind the tackled player (penalty)

As Morgan is about a foot away and slightly lower by an inch, Tizzana lowers head in that 1/2 second below his own waist height (ie, penalty, although rarely given) and Morgan’s left arm and shoulder while starting level with Tizzano’s s right shoulder slides over Tizzano back of neck / shoulder. Tizzano’s head at this point is below both Morgan’s shoulkder / chest and Tizzano’s own shoulder.

I believe Tom Curry tried to make a similar jackel in first half from a legal position, and was cleared out by the Australians. He just stood up, no theatrics, and got in the defensive line.

21 Go to comments

Hammer Head 36 minutes ago

British & Irish Lions player ratings vs Wallabies | 2nd Test 2025 Lions series

How come Wiese gets a red card for “head butting” and Will Skelton is allowed to strangle Itoje?

I mean strangling someone is murderous.

Nothing against Will Skelton, who doesn’t want to strangle Itoje.

21 Go to comments

Carlos 41 minutes ago

'Gutted' Joe Schmidt makes feelings clear over match-deciding call

People should look at the red card that Rubiolo from the Pumas got against England a few days ago. It was much milder action than Morgan’s but got YC and an upgrade to red. Not identical cases but you can clearly see the different outcomes.

21 Go to comments

Hammer Head 1 hour ago

Half-back depth is the flaw in 'Razor's' 4-4-4 Rugby World Cup plan

What language would you prefer to liaise in? You seem to be struggling with English.

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Hammer Head 1 hour ago

What World Rugby say about Dan Sheehan's controversial Lions try

Me? Hawuema?

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Hellhound 1 hour ago

Michael Hooper weighs in on Jac Morgan clear-out

That is very technical yes. You are allowed to dive for a try, but the reason people dive into the goal area is to make it harder for a tackler to stop them from scoring a try, even in the corners. So if that diving tackle is illegal and deemed as trying to avoid the tacklers, then all diving tries basically is illegal. WR rules is getting screwed up, too technical. They aren't making the game better, but worse. Mostly because they are trying to stop the Boks innovation and come up with stupid different little things. They fail again and again and again. We need a whole new board at WR. People who really understand the game, not those who tries to please only certain countries and allowing them to disrespect rugby in all its forms like the French. Test rugby is supposed to be the ultimate pinnacle of any players career, but not to the French. The NH complain and WR jump to accomodate. SH complain and absolutely nothing happens. Most money invested goes to the NH and very little down South. Instead of improving the sport like what Rassie is doing, they try and destroy it. With all new innovative plays and tactics, it makes people sit up and talk about the sport and causing it to grow. WR is failing the sport. They all need to go

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Flankly 1 hour ago

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At the rate that the Wallabies are improving you'd have to say a Lions tour next year might not look like 2-0 after two tests.

Schmidt is building a competitive team as we head towards the RWC.

Great to see.

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Flankly 2 hours ago

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Not sure how much of this would have been written if the team that scraped a win was the Wallabies, rather than the Lions.

A win is a win, but this was not a particularly convincing victory. The Lions were neither an irresistible force nor an immovable object for a Wallabies team that is far from their best.

The biggest take-away is that the Wallabies are rebuilding and are on their way back. Looking forward to seeing a competitive top-five ranked Australia team in the not too distant future.

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DP 2 hours ago

Three decisions that went badly wrong for the Wallabies

Any news on the Boks and Rassie specifically? Wonder what innovative ideas they’re working on that fall well outside of the spirit of the game… this BIl series has been as rubbish as initially anticipated and expected.

Back to the piece at hand. Wasn’t Schmidt lauded for being a master tactician not too long ago? Talk about elementary errors.. the irony is that this really really poor Wallabies side could easily have beaten this BIL team, having played only 1 warm up test match against Fiji and with a limited playing pool.

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Flankly 2 hours ago

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Nice to see the Wallabies rebuilding a competitive team.

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Kudos to the Wallabies, the team that vastly exceeded expectations.

3 Go to comments

BS 2 hours ago

Many Springboks fans are saying same thing about the Lions

Good ragebait article. Bad actual article

86 Go to comments

Flankly 2 hours ago

Finn Russell sends ominous warning to Wallabies

On current form the best fly-half in the game

Always say that a player is the best.

Good bait, if not insightful.

2 Go to comments

Wayneo 2 hours ago

Finn Russell sends ominous warning to Wallabies

Select 15 players from Leinster, sit back, enjoy the carnage.

2 Go to comments

Wayneo 3 hours ago

Many Springboks fans are saying same thing about the Lions

🤣😂

86 Go to comments

JH 3 hours ago

'Gutted' Joe Schmidt makes feelings clear over match-deciding call

I don’t have to convince anyone. They looked at it on TMO during the game and made a decision

Ironically, where I think the Aussies might have cause for complaint is Jac going off his feet. To be precise Genge flying in off his feet and landing on Jac putting him on his knees. So both off their feet

But it looks like that isn’t what the Aussies asked the officials to look at

21 Go to comments

DP 3 hours ago

Four Wallabies including Tizzano in doubt for final Test after Melbourne thriller

That’s two Oscar performances to the Wallabies - one for Nic White and now for the Carlo.

3 Go to comments

DP 3 hours ago

Many Springboks fans are saying same thing about the Lions

Seriously though… you’d have been pretty stupid to believe this BIL squad have achieved anything seismic against the worst wallabies team ever. Sit back and watch how NZ, Argentina, SA will utterly destroy them in the RC. BIL are an archaic concept that generates cash more than getting the pulse racing. World Cups are all that count. You know it.

86 Go to comments

alfiebart@btinternet.com 4 hours ago

Michael Hooper weighs in on Jac Morgan clear-out

And I thought it was us poms that were the winghers? Suck it up and move on. Just be proud of your team for pushing the Lions right to the whistle.

77 Go to comments

Super Sid 4 hours ago

'Gutted' Joe Schmidt makes feelings clear over match-deciding call

You've commented enough times to convince yourself but no one else is buying it - clean out on the neck/head, penalty and no try.

Go the ABs.

21 Go to comments

Mitch 4 hours ago

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South Africa or New Zealand would beat this touring team 3-0 and it would be as one sided as the 2005 series, so this is not a great team that has won this series and they won’t be great when they complete the whitewash.

3 Go to comments

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