NO-ONE in their right mind wanted to see Owen Farrell exit the international stage after announcing this week that he wants to prioritise his and his family's mental well-being.
The England fly-half and captain appears to have made the decision after being targeted with abuse before and during the World Cup in France by social media trolls, and also sozzled, mindless, mob-mentality boo-boys in some stadiums.
Farrell has earned genuine admiration and respect within the rugby union community – whether from fellow players, coaches, officials, and supporters, not just in England, but far and wide – for the talent, dedication, and tough, competitive drive which have taken him to the pinnacle of the sport for the Lions, England, and Saracens.
That recognition and respect for his ability has also been reflected in the mainstream media throughout his career, and it is why the comments from Mark McCall, the Saracens director of rugby, that the social media bile he has been subjected to began with, “the narrative around Owen in the mainstream media”, cannot go unchallenged.
Topical debates in rugby union about the merits of players and the selection skills of coaches have been around in the game for ever, whether pro or amateur. Often the higher profile the player, the greater the interest, and more intense the debate – and Farrell fits that bill, just as Will Carling did back in the 1990s.
There has been copious praise for Farrell's matchwinning goal-kicking and distribution skills, as well as legitimate debate about the shortcomings in his tackling technique, and the fact that he won half of his 112 England caps at inside centre rather than his favoured 10 shirt.
This struck a seam of controversy because many pundits and supporters felt that, while Farrell was a talented and highly effective fly-half, he did not have the same impact at inside centre – and impatience grew after Stuart Lancaster and Eddie Jones persisted with a 10-12 partnership in which he played outside George Ford.
Farrell has also been a player who has wanted to do his talking on the field, rather than through the media. While he has invariably been accessible and polite at press conferences, there was always a sense that he was duty-bound, and reluctant to provide any insight or illumination into his life and times as one of English rugby's outstanding players.
This led to a mutual frustration between Farrell and the media, which grew after he was confirmed as captain by Jones in 2019. It did not become antagonistic, but it seemed that his appetite for such a public-facing role was limited.
Jones was such a domineering figure that it also raised questions over whether his captains were decision-makers, or simply doing his bidding, and as results went downhill I was among those who questioned Farrell's captaincy.
I make no apologies for doing so, especially as he already shouldered a huge amount of responsibility as a goal-kicker and tactical fulcrum. Debate is an essential part of any sport, whether expressing differences of opinion or agreement. My response to McCall is that the role mainstream media plays is accountable, with bylines on articles, and remains crucial in fostering interest in rugby union. There is no way that should be confused with spewing hatred anonymously via social media.
