Blood & Mud

The Exit Lounge: Andy Farrell, Saracens

 

As another season nears its denouement the usual things are happening; Glaws are falling apart, albeit a bit earlier than usual; Munster are on course for the Big Cup again; the Euro Challenge cup is commanding about as much interest as a paint-drying expo in Milton Keynes; the Guinness Premiership play-offs are being hyped to such an extent you would think they are in fact a posthumous Beatles reunion; and Scotland are still a bit rubbish.  At this time of such reassuring familiarity, we are also faced with change of sorts in the form of retirements.  In our latest feature, we take a look at those in the exit lounge, starting with the Sarries man, Andy Farrell.

Much has been written about the pan-faced Pie Eater - I had my say a year or so ago and I don't want to rehash it all here - but needless to say we can all, including the man himself, admit that his Union career has not been all it could have been.  I still believe this was a matter of muddled thinking, poor timing and downright bad luck (on the injury front) and fact is, if the RFU had lured Farrell at the age of 23 he would have developed into one of the best No 8s in the country, however another fact is that he would not have come at that age anyway. 

We had brief glimpses of what could have been; the performance against Scotland in the 2007 6 Nations, the bullet pass cutting out three players which he put Noah Cato in for a try against Bath at the weekend, and some accomplished displays for his club.  But more often than not he looked what he was, a fish out of water recruited to the wrong position at the wrong time by an England management team who didn't know their arses from their elbows.  It would be unfair for the last two years to be be his legacy.

I prefer to remember Farrell for what his entire career confirmed him to be: one of the greatest rugby players these islands have produced.

Will be remebered for: depending on where you are from, either costing a lot of money and not being very good, or being a legend

Future plans: watching his 17-year-old son Owen hoefully succeed in the union code.

Punditry probability: 0%. Farrell has a face for radio and a voice for a tripe factory.  John Inverdale would fear him.

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The Exit Lounge: Andy Farrell, Saracens

 

As another season nears its denouement the usual things are happening; Glaws are falling apart, albeit a bit earlier than usual; Munster are on course for the Big Cup again; the Euro Challenge cup is commanding about as much interest as a paint-drying expo in Milton Keynes; the Guinness Premiership play-offs are being hyped to such an extent you would think they are in fact a posthumous Beatles reunion; and Scotland are still a bit rubbish.  At this time of such reassuring familiarity, we are also faced with change of sorts in the form of retirements.  In our latest feature, we take a look at those in the exit lounge, starting with the Sarries man, Andy Farrell.