Saracens is hopeful of keeping Owen Farrell, says director Mark McCall

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Saracens manager Mark McCall declared that his team would do every effort to retain 32-year-old Owen Farrell, following rumors that the England captain would be joining Racing 92 in France.

According to reports in the French media on Friday, the fly-half, who has played for Saracens his whole senior career, is set to depart for Racing after the current campaign.

Racing, a team located in Paris, denied on Friday that they had signed a deal with Farrell, who took a mental health leave from international rugby and would miss the Six Nations after England’s World Cup third-place finish last year, where fans constantly jeered him. 24hscore

If England’s leading points-scorer joins Paris, it could render Farrell ineligible for England selection, posing a challenge for the Premiership already impacted by players moving to the Top 14. McCall, Saracens’ director of rugby, expressed the desire for Farrell to stay but refrained from discussing speculation.

“I think having Owen Farrell in your team is what everybody would want,” McCall stated after Saracens’ 19-10 loss to Leicester. However, he emphasized the unfairness of discussing speculative matters and stated, “Until there’s something to talk about, we’re not going to talk about it.”

Before the game, McCall acknowledged the possibility of senior players leaving Saracens, understanding the desire for a change after long careers at one club.

Farrell’s errors contributed to two of Leicester’s tries in Saracens’ 19-10 defeat. His intercepted pass and a kicked ball into touch led to the Tigers’ scores. Despite this being Saracens’ fifth Premiership loss, McCall commended Farrell’s leadership, stating he “led from the front” and had a good game, emphasizing his ability to handle distractions.

Saracens’ defeat equaled their total losses for the previous season but they are just a point outside the top four, setting them up for the title-deciding play-offs.

In another Premiership match, with Ollie Sleightholme’s hat-trick, Northampton made a remarkable recovery to beat Exeter 42-36 and return to the top of the table. Despite being 26 points down, the Saints’ comeback was fueled by tries before halftime and a strong second-half performance by England duo Alex Mitchell and Tommy Freeman. Saints supremo Phil Dowson highlighted the importance of narrowing the deficit at halftime, saying it created belief in the team.