Earl and England look ahead to Rugby World Cup semi-final
England attack coach Richard Wigglesworth has leapt to the defence of Owen Farrell after the player was booed ahead of Sunday’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final victory over Fiji. Fans at the Stade Velodrome made their displeasure known as the stadium announcer confirmed the line-ups, with Farrell starting at fly-half at the expense of George Ford.
“He definitely doesn’t have to prove anything,” Wigglesworth explained. “We are lucky to have Owen. As ever, the tallest trees catch the most wind and he seems to catch a fair bit.”
Farrell produced a man-of-the-match performance against the Pacific Islanders as he notched 20 points from the boot to help England halt a late comeback and book their place in the last four. The 32-year-old kicked three penalties and a conversion in the opening period as England racked up a 21-10 lead and then nudged his team another three points ahead after the interval.
Fiji fought back from 24-10 down to draw level with 10 minutes remaining. But Farrell sent over a drop-goal from close range moments later before keeping his cool to slot a late penalty as England illustrated their desire on the big stage. And Wigglesworth has insisted that England can always rely on the Saracens No 10.
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“He’s proven time and time and time again and I don’t understand why in England we feel the need to not celebrate that, not enjoy it, just because he’s not sat in front of social media or the media lapping all that up,” he added.
“He is incredibly serious about his career and he’s an incredibly proud Englishman. He affects any team he is in and he was brilliant for us – as we knew he would be. That was the maddening part of any noise. We knew what was coming from him.”
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Meanwhile, England scrum-half Danny Care has also paid tribute to Farrell in the aftermath of the Rugby World Cup last-eight showdown. “If you’re not on it you’ll know about it from Owen,” Care said.
“I’ve played for Owen for 10, 12 years now – his levels never dip both on the field and off the pitch. Unbelievable person, unbelievable player. Still think he won’t get the recognition he properly deserves until he stops playing, which I still find incredible. He’s showing again and again what a wonderful, world-class player he is. He’s a top bloke.
“Owen was the guy in the shirt on Sunday, led us brilliantly as our captain the whole time when he was unavailable. To have him out there you feel safe, you’re in safe hands with him there. I thought he took us around the field brilliantly. He took the three when we needed it earlier. His kicking was brilliant, his defence as well. We’re blessed with a few good 10s.”
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