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Siya Kolisi hopeful 'misunderstood' Owen Farrell will join Racing 92

Siya Kolisi of South Africa embraces Owen Farrell of England following the during the Rugby World Cup France 2023 match between England and South Africa at Stade de France on October 21, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Two-time Rugby World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi is hopeful that Owen Farrell will join Racing 92 amidst rumours the “misunderstood” playmaker is poised to sign with the French juggernauts.

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French newspaper Midi Olympique reported earlier this month that Farrell, who has played all of his professional club rugby with Saracens, was close to penning a deal.

Farrell, 32, has already ruled himself out of the Six Nations for personal reasons, but a move across the English Channell would make the flyhalf ineligible for national duty.

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But, in what will surely pique the interest of rugby fans the world over, Farrell the apparent two-year deal in Paris that would see him join the likes of Siya Kolisi and England wing Henry Arundell at the Top 14 club.

Farrell and Kolisi captained their respective teams and nations in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final in Japan, and the pair went head-to-head once again in the semi-finals of last year’s event in France.

But Kolisi has nothing but praise and admiration for Farrell, who the Springboks’ leader described as a “f***ing competitive” athlete.

“I hope he f***ing comes. I hope he does,” Kolisi told Jim Hamilton on The Big Jim Show.

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“I love Owen, I really like him. I speak to him every now and then.

“I don’t understand why people don’t like him, I just think he’s f***ing competitive which is what you want.

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“It’d be good for us, it’d be great for us if he could come.

“He’s really a good leader, I think he’s very competitive and he’s just misunderstood.”

Saracens teammate Jamie George recently said that the reported move came as a “shock” to the playing group. Still, the England hooker was more than supportive of Farrell potentially making the move.

The nation’s top point scorer has played 112 Tests in the famed white jersey, which includes the aforementioned appearance in the 2019 World Cup final.

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Farell has also won England’s Premiership on six occasions and is also a three-time Champions Cup winner. There’s no question the flyhalf has served Saracens admirably which would make him a sensational pickup for Top 14 leaders Racing.

“Racing 92 are on the verge of hitting hard in the transfer market. According to our sources, England fly-half Owen Farrell would indeed be very close to committing for the next two years with the Hauts-de-Seine entity, the current leader of the Top 14.

“With a profile like Farrell’s, the club of Jacky Lorenzetti and Laurent Travers proves, only a few months after signing the captain of the South African Siya Kolisi, that it remains attractive to say the least in the eyes of the big names of the international circuit.

“In support of Antoine GibertTristan Tedder and Martin Meliande, and alongside Nolann Le Garrec at the back, Farrell will bring a little more depth to a team whose last major title dates back to the spring of 2016.

“By grafting the talent of Owen Farrell to his squad, manager Stuart Lancaster is now taking advantage of the events, assumed or suffered, that have made the news of the Ile-de-France club over the past two seasons.

“In the Hauts-de-Seine, the departure to Bath of Finn Russell, one of the highest-paid players in the last Top 14, has already made a considerable place in the club’s wage bill, as has the unwanted one of Virimi Vakatawa in England.

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“And that’s not all: in the 92nd, the probable career end of the French international Bernard Le Roux, victim of a series of concussions, combined with the possible departure of the Argentine international Juan Imhoff as well as the recruitment of several players in the process of development have also allowed the Ile-de-France leaders to limit a salary cap set at €10.7million per Top 14 club.

“On the subject of the salary cap and these honourable constraints, it should be noted, finally, that Siya Kolisi’s remuneration would not exceed €400,000 per year.

“At a time when competition from the Japanese League One is becoming more insistent, Farrell’s imminent arrival in the Top 14 proves that it is still very far from having given up its title of ‘best league in the world’.”

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Comments

13 Comments
k
karin 294 days ago

Does this sussie kolisi think he owns French rugby now . You are just there to play . Not comment and hope .. that’s the coaches job . .

A
Alexander 294 days ago

Well if the very people he plays against have nothing but positive things to say about him, suggests to me that hateful armchair fans really don't know what they're on about!!

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O
Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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