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How Owen Farrell responded to the haka has split the internet

Owen Farrell

Owen Farrell is a player that tends to split opinion and his response to the haka in Yokohama before England’s crunch semi-final with New Zealand did exactly that.

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England formed a ‘V’ formation as the All Blacks performed the pre-match ritual, with referee Nigel Owens and other officials being forced to ask them to retreat behind the halfway line, a request that was largely ignored.

However, it was Farrell’s manic smile that was picked up by cameras and had tongues wagging on Twitter.

Most England fans were delighted with his facial expressions from the 28-year-old who was switched back to the centre by head coach Eddie Jones.

https://twitter.com/vonclout/status/1188003259669241865
https://twitter.com/christiandunn/status/1188004473538535425
https://twitter.com/JamWaterhouse/status/1188002981544939520
https://twitter.com/SupersizedSam/status/1188002983591710720
https://twitter.com/Greganor/status/1188003142090330113
https://twitter.com/heatherdinho/status/1188002953929592833

Others were quick to pile into the England star, who became a father for the first time in March to son Tommy.

https://twitter.com/daveroberts93/status/1188003034158247936
https://twitter.com/EmmabNZ1970/status/1188005428203884545
https://twitter.com/CEducrisis/status/1188003253205819393
https://twitter.com/waltersjo/status/1188002935407558656

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Whatever about Farrell’s response to the controversial traditional, England certainly came out of the blocks the faster, with Manu Tuilagi scoring the first try of the game after just 97 seconds.

Farrell is now in his 11th year of professional rugby. He held the record of youngest player ever to compete in English professional rugby union after playing for Saracens eleven days after his 17th birthday until it was later broken by George Ford.

He received his first England call-up when he was selected for the 2012 Six Nations. At 20, Farrell was the youngest player in the squad.

In 2017, the Wigan born-back became Saracens’ all-time leading points scorer having scored 1,548 points in his career at that point.

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M
MA 3 hours ago
How the four-team format will help the Wallabies defeat the Lions

In regards to Mack Hansen, Tuipoloto and others who talent wasnt 'seen'..

If we look at acting, soccer and cricket as examples, Hugh Jackman, the Heminsworths in acting; Keith Urban in Nashville, Mike Hussey and various cricketers who played in UK and made the Australian team; and many soccer players playing overseas.


My opinion is that perhaps the ' 'potential' or latent talent is there, but it's just below the surface.


ANd that decision, as made by Tane Edmed, Noah, Will Skelton to go overseas is the catalyst to activate the latent and bring it to the surface.


Based on my personal experience of leaving Oz and spending 14 months o/s, I was fully away from home and all usual support systems and past memories that reminded me of the past.


Ooverseas, they weren't there. I had t o survive, I could invent myself as who I wanted, and there was no one to blame but me.


It bought me alive, focused my efforts towards what I wanted and people largely accepted me for who I was and how I turned up.


So my suggestion is to make overseas scholarships for younger players and older too so they can benefit from the value offered by overseas coaching acumen, established systems, higher intensity competition which like the pressure that turns coal into diamonds, can produce more Skeltons, Arnold's, Kellaways and the like.


After the Lion's tour say, create 20 x $10,000 scholarships for players to travel and play overseas.


Set up a HECS style arrangement if necessary to recycle these funds ongoingly.


Ooverseas travel, like parenthood or difficult life situations brings out people's physical and emotional strengths in my own experiences, let's use it in rugby.

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