The Saracens director of rugby, Mark McCall, has lashed out at the “shameful” treatment of Owen Farrell, revealing it remains to be seen if the fly-half will play for England again after his decision to take a break from the international game.
McCall admitted he was angry at an “unfair” narrative around Farrell, questioning the level of scrutiny the Saracens captain has been subjected to, insisting, “there’s only so much that someone can take”. McCall also revealed that Farrell confided in him how he was feeling “a while back” and considers it “incredible” how the 32-year-old performed for England at the World Cup regardless.
Farrell made the shock announcement that he would sit out next year’s Six Nations on Tuesday in order to prioritise his and his family’s mental wellbeing. McCall made clear that the criticism to which Farrell has been subjected – something that has dogged him throughout his career but became amplified during England’s World Cup warmup campaign after a red card against Wales and continued during the tournament – was the overriding factor.
“We want [Owen] to be OK and happy,” said McCall. “Clearly he hasn’t been or he wouldn’t have made this decision. I described the person that I know and I don’t know what he’s done – honestly – to deserve how he has been treated. I’m not worried about [forthcoming fixtures in] Europe or the club at all. I’m worried about Owen.
“It’s actually quite remarkable that he played the way he played during the World Cup, if we take into account how he was feeling. Amazing, incredible really. A person who is right on top of his game at the moment, the best he’s ever been playing yet he’s been made to feel the way that he feels and his family have been made to feel the way they feel. It is shameful.”
The furore that followed Farrell after his red card against Wales in August – and the widespread abuse on social media – prompted his father, Andy, the Ireland head coach, to hit out at the “disgusting circus” surrounding his son. When Farrell’s ban expired and he returned to the England side in place of George Ford he was loudly booed before and during matches at the World Cup.
Max Malins, Farrell’s former teammate at Saracens who was part of England’s World Cup squad, added: “I think it’s shocking, to be honest. I was up in the stands when the teams were getting read out, and I heard that [booing]. It was a big surprise to me. I really don’t get it. For what he has done for England rugby – he is one of the greatest players to wear that shirt – and for some fans to treat him like that is ridiculous.”
Farrell’s decision comes weeks after Wayne Barnes announced his retirement from refereeing in the face of continued abuse and threats online and McCall believes it is a “wake-up call” for the sport. “Rugby probably does [need to do something],” added McCall, who revealed his fly-half suffered a “bang” to his knee last week and may not feature for Saracens against Northampton on Saturday. “This is probably a wake-up call for all concerned, because there’s absolutely no way that a referee should face what Wayne faced and there’s no way that a player – a person – like Owen should have to face what he faced, over a much longer period of time. It’s not right.
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“I’ve worked with Owen for 15 years, every day, and the person that has been portrayed bears no resemblance to the person I know. His happiness and his wellbeing is paramount – and of his family. Any decisions that allow [a return to international rugby], that’s most important, whether that involves playing international rugby or not remains to be seen. He has nothing to prove. All those caps, I don’t know how many caps he ended up on, being captain, wasn’t enough for some people.
“Down the years he has been made to feel that he has done something much worse than he has done. Every single thing that has been picked up on and scrutinised to a level that doesn’t happen with most other players. You might say ‘he’s the England captain’ but I’m not sure that England captains have faced the level of scrutiny that he has. Very rarely is it positive, and we’re talking about someone who is a model professional, who cares deeply about what he does and about the people he does it with. There has always just been an unfair narrative and I don’t know why.”
