Mark McCall would not be drawn on “speculation” over the future of Owen Farrell, who is reported to be the subject of a lucrative offer by Racing 92 in Paris. “It’s just not fair on anyone to talk about something that is speculation,” Saracens’ director of rugby said. “Until there’s something to talk about, we’re not going to talk about it.”
Neither, though, did he rule out the move to the French club. Indeed, he spoke of the journey Farrell et al had been on at Saracens over the past decade. “I remember presenting to the board in 2015,” he said, “and we had Ernst Joubert and a gang of people who were leaving the club that year. We looked at this new generation who were going to come through and hopefully grab hold of the club. And they did. And that’s eight years ago. They’ve had a hell of a journey, and we’ve had a hell of a journey, but I think that journey’s coming towards an end. There’s a new adventure next year on the horizon.”
If that was a hint at imminent changes, McCall also spoke decisively about the need to keep England’s best players in the Premiership, when the Top 14 is flexing its commercial muscle so aggressively. “We all want the Premiership to be as strong a competition as it can be, which is why the rule that you can only play for England if you play in the Premiership is essential.
“That needs to stay. The Top 14 is a strong league, there’s no doubt about it. And it’s getting away. Hopefully someone can do something about that. At the moment, there are two different salary caps in the two competitions. And it’s obvious what will happen if that rule goes away. So I think it’s a very simple argument really.”
McCall confirmed that Saracens want to keep Farrell, even if the English salary cap feels more and more tightly restrictive. “I think having Owen Farrell in your team is what everybody would want.”
On another stirring day of Premiership rugby, McCall praised the state of English rugby after his side’s 19-10 Premiership defeat at Leicester. “The games are brilliant, which is why I don’t want to talk too negatively. The Premiership is strong and entertaining and tight. The teams are doing well in Europe, some of them, so there’s much to be positive about.”
That much remains true. Saracens may have dominated for much of what might be called the Farrell era, but the Premiership has for years remained fiercely competitive with multiple teams routinely separated by a handful of points.
If Farrell leaves, he will be the most high-profile departure, but far from the first and English clubs must be asking themselves if they can compete for much longer.
