Farrell

Oops 

That was hilarious.

Even he saw the funny side ...

Not so funny now Toulouse are within 7pts.

I'm sure Sarries don't want to lose true - but the result of this match makes no difference I believe?

Saracens had that game won twice or three times over but decided to gift wrap a way for Toulouse to finish a lot closer on the scoreboard.

For those who didn't see...

Whoops

A thing of beauty

Wow, sure his teammates will let him live that one down....

yappysnap wrote:For those who didn't see...

Whoops

A thing of beauty

That's hilarious. The really funny thing about that he is giving a cheeky grin to a couple of Toulouse players before he fumbles it. That's what you get for thinking more about winding up the opposition, than about ensuring you ground the ball

Funny if at lower levels.............
A bit of the Chris Ashton Splash mentality.

Munchkin wrote:

yappysnap wrote:For those who didn't see...

Whoops

A thing of beauty

That's hilarious. The really funny thing about that he is giving a cheeky grin to a couple of Toulouse players before he fumbles it. That's what you get for thinking more about winding up the opposition, than about ensuring you ground the ball

I think you are stretching it a bit to say he was winding up the opposition. It looked like a normal grimace when accelerating.

Farrell always appears to be struggling with encopresis, so it's hard to tell exactly what that look on his face really is about. Either way, the play was unprofessional. Wonder if Eddie saw it...........

doctor_grey wrote:Farrell always appears to be struggling with encopresis, so it's hard to tell exactly what that look on his face really is about.  Either way, the play was unprofessional.  Wonder if Eddie saw it...........

It happens to players now and again, so i wouldn't of thought Eddie would give it a second thought

doctor_grey wrote:Farrell always appears to be struggling with encopresis, so it's hard to tell exactly what that look on his face really is about.  Either way, the play was unprofessional.  Wonder if Eddie saw it...........

Professional opinion there Doc?

Makes sense.

maestegmafia wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:Farrell always appears to be struggling with encopresis, so it's hard to tell exactly what that look on his face really is about.  Either way, the play was unprofessional.  Wonder if Eddie saw it...........

Professional opinion there Doc?

Makes sense.

Not sure if I am right, but that almost perpetual semi-grimace/semi-smile on his face leads me to believe..............

nathan wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:Farrell always appears to be struggling with encopresis, so it's hard to tell exactly what that look on his face really is about.  Either way, the play was unprofessional.  Wonder if Eddie saw it...........

It happens to players now and again, so i wouldn't of thought Eddie would give it a second thought

It doesn't happen to top class players at all, let alone now and again.

Farrell has to rethink his try celebrations. He already pulled his leg after kicking away a ball when the try was ultimately disallowed. Here, he has blown a try when the game wasn't clearly won. Those actions suggest to me he's not in control of his emotions, and he's just as prone to doing that at Test level as club level.

Rugby Fan wrote:

nathan wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:Farrell always appears to be struggling with encopresis, so it's hard to tell exactly what that look on his face really is about.  Either way, the play was unprofessional.  Wonder if Eddie saw it...........

It happens to players now and again, so i wouldn't of thought Eddie would give it a second thought

It doesn't happen to top class players at all, let alone now and again.

Farrell has to rethink his try celebrations. He already pulled his leg after kicking away a ball when the try was ultimately disallowed. Here, he has blown a try when the game wasn't clearly won. Those actions suggest to me he's not in control of his emotions, and he's just as prone to doing that at Test level as club level.

So you are saying you haven't seen a top class player ever make a silly mistake?

nathan wrote:

Rugby Fan wrote:

nathan wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:Farrell always appears to be struggling with encopresis, so it's hard to tell exactly what that look on his face really is about.  Either way, the play was unprofessional.  Wonder if Eddie saw it...........

It happens to players now and again, so i wouldn't of thought Eddie would give it a second thought

It doesn't happen to top class players at all, let alone now and again.

Farrell has to rethink his try celebrations. He already pulled his leg after kicking away a ball when the try was ultimately disallowed. Here, he has blown a try when the game wasn't clearly won. Those actions suggest to me he's not in control of his emotions, and he's just as prone to doing that at Test level as club level.

So you are saying you haven't seen a top class player ever make a silly mistake?

Methinks it is rare indeed for a top class player to make a mistake due to acts of selfishness, such as celebrating before touching the ball down. Mistakes happen all the time. In my opinion, this is different.

yappysnap wrote:For those who didn't see...

Whoops

A thing of beauty

It could only be better if it was Ashton

doctor_grey wrote:

nathan wrote:

Rugby Fan wrote:

nathan wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:Farrell always appears to be struggling with encopresis, so it's hard to tell exactly what that look on his face really is about.  Either way, the play was unprofessional.  Wonder if Eddie saw it...........

It happens to players now and again, so i wouldn't of thought Eddie would give it a second thought

It doesn't happen to top class players at all, let alone now and again.

Farrell has to rethink his try celebrations. He already pulled his leg after kicking away a ball when the try was ultimately disallowed. Here, he has blown a try when the game wasn't clearly won. Those actions suggest to me he's not in control of his emotions, and he's just as prone to doing that at Test level as club level.

So you are saying you haven't seen a top class player ever make a silly mistake?

Methinks it is rare indeed for a top class player to make a mistake due to acts of selfishness, such as celebrating before touching the ball down.  Mistakes happen all the time.  In my opinion, this is different.  

i do think its different, but because of who it is.

nathan wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:

nathan wrote:

Rugby Fan wrote:

nathan wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:Farrell always appears to be struggling with encopresis, so it's hard to tell exactly what that look on his face really is about.  Either way, the play was unprofessional.  Wonder if Eddie saw it...........

It happens to players now and again, so i wouldn't of thought Eddie would give it a second thought

It doesn't happen to top class players at all, let alone now and again.

Farrell has to rethink his try celebrations. He already pulled his leg after kicking away a ball when the try was ultimately disallowed. Here, he has blown a try when the game wasn't clearly won. Those actions suggest to me he's not in control of his emotions, and he's just as prone to doing that at Test level as club level.

So you are saying you haven't seen a top class player ever make a silly mistake?

Methinks it is rare indeed for a top class player to make a mistake due to acts of selfishness, such as celebrating before touching the ball down.  Mistakes happen all the time.  In my opinion, this is different.  

i do think its different, but because of who it is.

You are thinking it gets more attention because it is Farrell?

nathan wrote:i do think its different, but because of who it is.

I read an interview with Stuart Broad after his match-winning spell the other day. He said he spent too much time at the start of his career trying to be an enforcer with the ball, looking to bully and bounce opponents out. It was only when he gave it up that he found his real edge.

I think there's a similarity with Farrell, who strikes me as an excellent player who tries too hard to get under the skin of the opposition. He doesn't do it with Phillips/North/Armitage finger-wagging taunts as he scores, but he wants to let them know he's got one over them. He doesn't need to, not least because he isn't very good at it.

Like Broad, Farrell seems to thrive on pressure, and responds well to hostility. You don't want him to be a choirboy, but he needs to be more confident he can intimidate through general play, rather than cheap shot tackles and trying to grandstand.

Very funny but very stupid from Farrell at the same time. It didn't cost his side but it could easily have, don't think he will act the goat like that again.

Lack of focus. He's got the walk in from running a good support line and is intent on going right under the posts. Should have kept the ball in two hands but to be fair to him he's not celebrating just a bit nonchalant. Lesson learnt there is two hands and ground it quickly.

Rugby Fan wrote:

nathan wrote:i do think its different, but because of who it is.

I read an interview with Stuart Broad after his match-winning spell the other day. He said he spent too much time at the start of his career trying to be an enforcer with the ball, looking to bully and bounce opponents out. It was only when he gave it up that he found his real edge.

I think there's a similarity with Farrell, who strikes me as an excellent player who tries too hard to get under the skin of the opposition. He doesn't do it with Phillips/North/Armitage finger-wagging taunts as he scores, but he wants to let them know he's got one over them. He doesn't need to, not least because he isn't very good at it.

Like Broad, Farrell seems to thrive on pressure, and responds well to hostility. You don't want him to be a choirboy, but he needs to be more confident he can intimidate through general play, rather than cheap shot tackles and trying to grandstand.

This is very true, he spends too much time focussed on the physical side of the game and trying to intimidate opposition 10's. I guess a lot of it could stem from him being bigger then most other 10's.

Couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke.....

yappysnap wrote:

Rugby Fan wrote:
Like Broad, Farrell seems to thrive on pressure, and responds well to hostility. You don't want him to be a choirboy, but he needs to be more confident he can intimidate through general play, rather than cheap shot tackles and trying to grandstand.

This is very true, he spends too much time focussed on the physical side of the game and trying to intimidate opposition 10's. I guess a lot of it could stem from him being bigger then most other 10's.

Funny thing is, he spends a lot of time trying to intimidate and niggle but very often has games in which his place kicking goes to complete hell. Speaks of a lack of focus at times.

Always find it utterly remarkable Farrell is not criticised much more often for these lapses. How many 'one-off' and 'out of character' games with the boot do you need to have before the papers start picking up on it? But apparently he is the anointed one. Wilkinson 2.0.

Notch I am not sure he's seen as Wikinson 2.0, perhaps in the past I might have hoped that he could be but he's certainly not got the same cool mentality as Wilkinson. That was obvious in the ERCC final when Wilkinson bossed Farrell. He's also in better form than Ford.

Farrell is not criticised more for his lapses because his good performances outweigh the lapses.

Against Wales for example in the RWC, I don't think he missed one penalty. It was his moving to centre which has been his weakness.

Farrell has played pretty well this season. He's not a likeable person but as a player he's overall been a decent 10.

I think Beshocked sums it up pretty well. Farrell does tend to personify the pragmatic approach to attacking play Sarries use which certainly doesn't help. He doesn't go in for attacking flair which obviously makes him a source of frustration for most neutral fans. Wilko was never up there in terms of flair but he could turn it on when he needed to.

Also doesn't help Farrell is prickly on the field and likes to get in the faces of the opposition. Polar opposite to Johnny the Gentleman.

Sam the funny thing is though that Ashton and Farrell are not the norm at Saracens. People dislike Saracens partly down to these two but the vast majority of the other players are not spiky or confrontational. Not in the way Ashton and Farrell are.

E.g. when Hartley squared up to George and allegedly headbutted him he shook it off as if it was nothing.


It's a good sign if you can still beat a side of the prestige of Toulouse by more than 7 away from home after making a howler like Farrell did. Not even with a full strength side.

beshocked wrote:Farrell has played pretty well this season. He's not a likeable person but as a player he's overall been a decent 10.

Agreed. He is definitely one of the most talented 10s in the NH. But does he have the temperament to be an all-time great? Jury is still out.

formerly known as Sam wrote:I think Beshocked sums it up pretty well. Farrell does tend to personify the pragmatic approach to attacking play Sarries use which certainly doesn't help. He doesn't go in for attacking flair which obviously makes him a source of frustration for most neutral fans. Wilko was never up there in terms of flair but he could turn it on when he needed to.

Also doesn't help Farrell is prickly on the field and likes to get in the faces of the opposition. Polar opposite to Johnny the Gentleman.

I think you are a season or two behind when it comes to Sarries. They are now one of the best attacking teams out there and Farrell is making lots of line breaks and long hard passes to put players through.

As for being prickly on the field as long as it is under control that is a good thing.

Exiledinborders Sarries do score quite a few tries but it I think Sam's description of pragmatic is correct.

They probably attack from their 22 less than most sides, probably beat less defenders and make less metres than many of their opposition but score more tries because they pick the right decisions more often than not. Pressurise the opposition and attack at the right time.

Farrell's line breaks have come from gaps being opened up by others generally. The Sarries forwards have generally had too much for the opposition in the full 80. Also when you can bring on an impact player like Brits it just helps.

It's quite straightforward rugby but executed well. Other sides know what to expect but countering it is easier said than done.

A friend happened to be in the same airport as the Saracens team and Farrell is a really nice guy off the pitch, selfies and autographs no problem + time to chat. Billy V apparently the opposite!

This reminded me of Christian Wade dropping the ball as he touched down for England vs the Baa-Baas. All about concentration!

As the Fan of a side who a couple of weeks lost two tries from players being unable to ground the ball properly when unapposed, I can fully sympathise. Sometiems brainfarts happen.

After all who can forget this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03gpzFZadcQ

LondonTiger wrote:As the Fan of a side who a couple of weeks lost two tries from players being unable to ground the ball properly when unapposed, I can fully sympathise. Sometiems brainfarts happen.

After all who can forget this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03gpzFZadcQ

I think that's the best one out there. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Always brings a smile.....

formerly known as Sam wrote:I think Beshocked sums it up pretty well. Farrell does tend to personify the pragmatic approach to attacking play Sarries use which certainly doesn't help. He doesn't go in for attacking flair which obviously makes him a source of frustration for most neutral fans. Wilko was never up there in terms of flair but he could turn it on when he needed to.

Also doesn't help Farrell is prickly on the field and likes to get in the faces of the opposition. Polar opposite to Johnny the Gentleman.

I think we need prickly characters. Broad gets the edge perfectly in my opinion