Owen Farrell

[Which Tyler]

Youngs, Banahan, Noon, Goode, Hodgson, Marler, Kruis, Hughes... These are all players we've argued over many a time.

Why is Farrell different? Why are we not allowed to criticise him?

I miss the arguments of the 6.5 flankers.

Who'd make the better coach? Moody or Worsley?
Would Tom Wood reluctantly volunteer to take one form the team, and accept the England head coaching role of Eddie comes under fire during the 6N

[Mellsblue]

Youngs, Banahan, Noon, Goode, Hodgson, Marler, Kruis, Hughes... These are all players we've argued over many a time.

Why is Farrell different? Why are we not allowed to criticise him?

I miss the arguments of the 6.5 flankers.

Who'd make the better coach? Moody or Worsley?
Would Tom Wood reluctantly volunteer to take one form the team, and accept the England head coaching role of Eddie comes under fire during the 6N

First player/captain/head coach/media operations manager in the history of the RFU.

I’m being harsh. I reckon he’d make himself co-captain as it’s now all the rage. The other co-captain would also be himself.

[Renniks]

Keep squabbling my pretties, keep squabbling.

I'm actually quite entertained by how quickly the NZ fans have gone to pieces over losing two games in a calendar year. "What is wrong with us and can it ever be fixed? Or are we doomed to losing the occasional test match against other excellent sides, like peasants?"

Puja

They just need a long range kicker.

And a better fly half than Beauden Barrett…

[Mellsblue]

Finally some criticism, by Tom Fordyce of the BBC, even if the para is concluded with more fallacy:
‘Farrell epitomises everything Jones wants from his team's character and is indisputably now its on-field leader, but with him at fly-half and George Ford on the bench there is a loss of creativity even as the defence has been buttressed.’

[Mellsblue]

and then Stephen Jones gives him 9/10, up there with motm Sinckler. He had a decent game but missed Folau for that try (not that Itoje helped), should’ve been yellow carded, kicked out on the full, missed a few other tackles and missed a relatively straight forward pen. 7/10, yes. 8/10, possibly. 9/10, hahahahahahahahaha

[Stom]

and then Stephen Jones gives him 9/10, up there with motm Sinckler. He had a decent game but missed Folau for that try (not that Itoje helped), should’ve been yellow carded, kicked out on the full, missed a few other tackles and missed a relatively straight forward pen. 7/10, yes. 8/10, possibly. 9/10, hahahahahahahahaha

I would say 6 or 7.

Granuaid gave him 8...

But I always think these are ridiculous as they use 6 as a base, not 5. Most of the Aussie team got 5. They were not par, they were poor.

[Galfon]

'ruck' rating, (where wilson and sink. got 7 & 8 respectively):
"An imperious performance as we’ve come to expect from Farrell. Made his usual impact in attack an defence after a somewhat scrappy first half from England. The ultimate international rugby player, scored a well-deserved try late on. 9/10"
I had a good view in the pub (I thought). I'm off to Specsavers.. ..
I'll temper that with accordance that he took his points,was his competitve self, was involved in a couple of tries and managed to get away with a try-saving tackle, so did quite well.

[morepork]

If the golden child causes this much angst on here, I can't imagine his untouchable status melding that well with his playing peers.

Sinkler usually gives away some daft penalties doesn't he? He looks to have sorted that out.

[WaspInWales]

and then Stephen Jones gives him 9/10, up there with motm Sinckler. He had a decent game but missed Folau for that try (not that Itoje helped), should’ve been yellow carded, kicked out on the full, missed a few other tackles and missed a relatively straight forward pen. 7/10, yes. 8/10, possibly. 9/10, hahahahahahahahaha

Didn't he also throw another stinker of a pass as well?

Plus missed touch with a penalty.

These are notable mistakes for a flyhalf, yet he continues to get lauded.

He gave a decent try assist offload to Daly though, but didn't Ford provide similar to Wilson last week? Besides, Daly still had a lot more to do to finish...even though he saw the Aussie defence was stretched.

Farrell walked in a try too. Nothing fancy in the finish and all the hard work was done in the build up...and again, the Aussie defence was all over the place.

Just need to see some balance.

I'd put Farrell at 6/10 for yesterday. The mistakes were notable and also cost points.

[Mellsblue]

Graham Simmons has questioned Farrell’s defensive prowess on Twitter and it’s got a few people riled up.

[Renniks]

Thought I'd link to it - it's quite fun!

[Digby]

Graham Simmons has questioned Farrell’s defensive prowess on Twitter and it’s got a few people riled up.

Well it would, best defence coach is an absurd claim

[Mellsblue]

Graham Simmons has questioned Farrell’s defensive prowess on Twitter and it’s got a few people riled up.

Well it would, best defence coach is an absurd claim

Ha, yep. It’s a top draw click bait of a tweet.

[fivepointer]

Good on Simmons for raising the issue.

This guy is obviously a fan - "He is the hardest hitting 10 in world rugby, yesterday he was clearing out rucks, leading an almost impenetrable white line, stopped a certain try on a 2nd row from 2 metres away from the line. I think Farrell senior would be pretty happy!"

So there.

[morepork]

He can piss his name into set concrete.

[Mellsblue]

He can slam a revolving door.

[Tigersman]

Good on Simmons for raising the issue.

This guy is obviously a fan - "He is the hardest hitting 10 in world rugby, yesterday he was clearing out rucks, leading an almost impenetrable white line, stopped a certain try on a 2nd row from 2 metres away from the line. I think Farrell senior would be pretty happy!"

So there.

Well tackling is the most important thing for a 10...

How I wish the likes of Sexton and Carter would hit rucks

[Mellsblue]

Good on Simmons for raising the issue.

This guy is obviously a fan - "He is the hardest hitting 10 in world rugby, yesterday he was clearing out rucks, leading an almost impenetrable white line, stopped a certain try on a 2nd row from 2 metres away from the line. I think Farrell senior would be pretty happy!"

So there.

Well tackling is the most important thing for a 10...

How I wish the likes of Sexton and Carter would hit rucks

They could try their best but there is no way they’d be able to lead an almost impenetrable white line.

[Oakboy]

If every win is based on OF's 10/10 performance, if/when we get stuffed in Dublin or crash out of the RWC, whose fault will it be and what mark will he get?

[Mellsblue]

Stephen Jones’s from Eng v Ire last year:

‘Owen Farrell
7/10
Saracens
Caps 58 Age 26 Ht 1.88m Wt 92kg
You can only imagine his feelings as he was faced with a superior opposition and rather chaotic scenes around him

Rugby Pass:
Owen Farrell – 8
Even in a badly disintegrating England team, Farrell continues to show his class. His weighted kick for Daly’s try was pinpoint, whilst his breaks and passing were one of the few sources of creative and incisive attack for England.

Guardian:
Owen Farrell 5
His switch to fly-half was a qualified success. Good tactical kicking and made Daly’s first try but off target with conversions in difficult conditions.

Yep. 5/10 and 0% kick conversion but still a ‘qualified success’.

BUT you do get some negative:

Ruck.co.uk
Owen Farrell: 0% off the tee, sloppy passing, a stupid late tackle and general lack of anything to shout about. 4.5/10

The Indy was a 5/10 and not complementary but wasn’t copy and pastable.

[Oakboy]

All of that suggests that he is so irreplaceable that we simply could not play without him. Sarcasm aside, unless we find better players for the 9 and 12 shirts, there might be a part of me that agrees. I prefer Cipriani and Ford as out and out FHs but within Jones's method of play and in the absence of top quality at 9 and 12, our dependence on Farrell is real. I can't believe I just typed that but there it is - unfortunately.

IMO, Youngs, Farrell, T'eo is more effective than Youngs, Ford, Farrell. The average mark for either trio would be below the average for the other twelve most of the time.

[Tigersman]

I just find it funny how the press seem to think we had no success with 10.Ford, 12. Farrell.

In Ford starts at 10 under Eddie jones we have lost just 5 game in 29 matches.
Those 5 losses
Ireland Away 13-9 (A team that would beat the AB in the AI)
Scotland Away 25-13 (A team failure but also against a scotland team in form and at home)
France Away 22 - 16
South Africa Away 42-39
South Africa Away 23-12

All tough games that the English press seem to think we had no right to be losing.
England under Wisemantel has looked better in attack with a proper 10 be it Ford or Cipriani, the forwards let the team down in SA more than anyone else.

[Puja]

I just find it funny how the press seem to think we had no success with 10.Ford, 12. Farrell.

In Ford starts at 10 under Eddie jones we have lost just 5 game in 29 matches.
Those 5 losses
Ireland Away 13-9 (A team that would beat the AB in the AI)
Scotland Away 25-13 (A team failure but also against a scotland team in form and at home)
France Away 22 - 16
South Africa Away 42-39
South Africa Away 23-12

All tough games that the English press seem to think we had no right to be losing.
England under Wisemantel has looked better in attack with a proper 10 be it Ford or Cipriani, the forwards let the team down in SA more than anyone else.

And those South Africa games also included the most fluid and incisive backline performances seen under Jones. I really dkn't know why Ford/Farrell is so denigrated.

Puja

[Tigersman]

It's solely because we lost to Scotland and France back to back even though the team in general was playing poor as shown in the Ireland game.

[Stom]

I just find it funny how the press seem to think we had no success with 10.Ford, 12. Farrell.

In Ford starts at 10 under Eddie jones we have lost just 5 game in 29 matches.
Those 5 losses
Ireland Away 13-9 (A team that would beat the AB in the AI)
Scotland Away 25-13 (A team failure but also against a scotland team in form and at home)
France Away 22 - 16
South Africa Away 42-39
South Africa Away 23-12

All tough games that the English press seem to think we had no right to be losing.
England under Wisemantel has looked better in attack with a proper 10 be it Ford or Cipriani, the forwards let the team down in SA more than anyone else.

What's the stats without Ford at 10?

I'd also like to see tries scored per minute with Ford at 10 and without. That will be interesting.