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What Clive Woodward makes of the shock Owen Farrell England sabbatical
By Liam Heagney
Former England boss Clive Woodward has given his verdict on the midweek revelation that Owen Farrell has made himself unavailable for his country’s upcoming Guinness Six Nations campaign.
The Saracens out-half led the English to a bronze medal finish at France 2023 but has now opted out of Steve Borthwick’s squad to prioritise his and his family’s mental well-being.
It’s a development that Woodward, the 2003 World Cup-winning coach, has labelled as a “brave and correct decision”, suggesting that recent criticism, which included the booing of Farrell at the World Cup, was unjust.
Writing in his latest Sportsmail column, Woodward said: “For whatever reason, he has never had the praise he has deserved. In fact, he has ended up being criticised a lot – often personally and unjustly. I wonder whether that has had an impact…
“The subsequent targeting of him was way over the top and totally uncalled for. That was summed up when he was booed at the World Cup. For a player who has given so much, that was unforgivable.”
Woodward went on to suggest that the decision of Farrell to step away from international rugby for the Six Nations and focus solely on playing for Saracens could lead the way for other England players to take a break from the relentless pressures of Test rugby.
“I hope, with the decision made and the outpouring of support he has received, Farrell can now look ahead with new-found freedom. I hope Farrell sets the tone and inspires new thinking in this area. Why is taking a sabbatical not more common?
“Let’s be brutally honest. There is nobody at the RFU who would have a clue how to help or advise Farrell when he needs it most. No doubt they will blame others – especially the media – and create another nameless committee to investigate and put forward their thoughts with zero accountability.
“Meanwhile, Farrell will probably be left to work it out for himself. That is so wrong. The RFU and other international sides should look at Farrell’s situation with real concern but as an opportunity to better support players. The world’s best businesses build sabbaticals into their HR processes as paid leave. Why not rugby?”
Woodward ended his column by claiming: “I really hope this is not the last we have seen of him at Test level. Here’s hoping the break does him the world of good and he can return to the international game when he is good and ready.
"Andy Farrell is hotly tipped to lead the 2025 Lions to Australia. Oh, how I would love to see his son make one more tour alongside his father.”
- Click here to read the Clive Woodward Sportsmail column in full
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Latest Comments
> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
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