Dylan Hartley predicts that Owen Farrell will return to the England rugby national team in the future.
Farrell has decided to move to France and join Racing Club, which means he is no longer under consideration for selection for England, meaning he will be out of this year’s Six Nations (which viewers in Canada can watch on DAZN and in the US can watch on Peacock).
As captain, Hartley thinks that Farrell may need a change from the responsibilities of leading his side and could benefit from a fresh challenge.
He told Instant Casino: “Captaincy is a thankless task. It is a bit like coaching. When it goes well it’s always about the team, when it goes wrong it’s the coach or captain’s fault. People forget that we only see 2% of what captaincy is in the 80 minutes of a game.
“There’s another six days in the week where captaincy is integral to the team, how it prepares and ultimately how it performs on the day.
“That is the biggest void Owen will leave. On his day a world class rugby player. The void he will leave off the field will have to be filled. This is where people don’t see the true benefits of having an Owen Farrell in the team as captain.
“For him emotionally moving to France will be a good spark for him and his family to check a new environment. He can always come home. He will benefit by playing abroad; a different stimulus, different coaching, different players to be exposed to, a different language. He could even return as a better player.”
Hartley thinks that despite the move, Farrell will be back in an England shirt, saying: “Knowing the man, he is pretty driven, and I don’t think he is done in an England shirt yet. We shouldn’t forget he is England’s highest ever points scorer.
“There will always be an opportunity for a world class player to come back. Johnny Sexton and Finn Russell both did it. He is not dead, let’s remember that!! He is far from finished.”
Live on DAZN: Watch Conor Benn vs. Peter Dobson on February 3. Click here for details.