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The Farrell reaction to an England squad missing some big names
By Liam Heagney
England skipper Owen Farrell has given his reaction to the latest squad picked by Eddie Jones, a selection that had no place for the Vunipola brothers Mako and Billy nor George Ford, the player who has so often worn the No10 jersey during the Australian coach’s tenure. Jamie George, another seasoned player, was also left out only to be quickly called up for this week’s training camp in Jersey after Luke Cowan-Dickie was ruled out through injury.
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“I have never thought no one was undroppable,” said Farrell when representing England at Tuesday’s Autumn Nations Series media launch. “You always have to work hard to be in this team. You always have to work hard to play in these games and that is never going to be any different. Excited about what is coming up, excited about what is in front of us and we will do everything we can to play well.
“The team that is together now hopefully has got a brilliant blend to it of experience and youth and that is exciting for what is in front of us. I am sure some other people will still have some bits to say about that as well, but we are looking forward to getting together as quickly as we possibly can and not feeling our way in but throwing ourselves into what is in front of us now.”
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Tonga, Australia and South Africa await England on successive November Saturdays and Farrell admitted he never took his own place for granted even though he has been Jones’ skipper for quite some time. “I don’t expect anything from a squad announcement. I don’t expect anybody to be in.
“You are waiting for a phone call to see if you get picked yourself. You don’t want to expect too much and see what comes when the squad is announced. It’s the same as always, same as any squad, you have got to make sure you get picked. It would have been the same as every squad announcement.”
England skipper Farrell has been speaking from Jersey about Marcus Smith, his one-time roommate who poised to take the No10 shirt on a long-term basis from the axed George Ford#England #AutumnNationSeries #ENGvTON
https://t.co/IjByQ4k8oX— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 26, 2021
Asked what his reaction at the time was to the omission of his Saracens’ teammates, Farrell added: “I don’t know about my reaction at the time. I spoke to them when I had the chance and saw how they were. It is obviously never nice but the way that they responded has been brilliant.”
Saracens have been racing up the Gallagher Premiership table in recent weeks, doling out heavy defeats to Bath and Wasps. Farrell showed signs in these games that he is getting back to his best after Jones admitted in September his skipper wasn’t at his best when touring with the Lions.
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“Yeah, I’d agree I could have played better, I’d agree there were parts of my game that I want to get back to and do more of. I came back this summer and couldn’t wait to get stuck into the games that were in front of us. I couldn’t wait to get back playing for the club, couldn’t wait to enjoy being out there on the field again and that is what I am at the minute and I am excited to see what is in front of us now with this England team.
“It is not the fact of not clicking, there is stuff that I can do more of that I have done well in the past or to get into my game as well. That is the same every year, that is the same every time you have a look at yourself at the end of the year and want to improve and this year is no different. The big thing is that you have got to perform in what is in front of you.”
"I have never been so excited in my life"
– Eddie Jones on his England stint and what to do to fix Owen Farrellhttps://t.co/LckuPh3lNJ
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 22, 2021
