LONDON: England’s past, present and future will be on show when fly-halves Jonny Wilkinson and Owen Farrell face one another in a European Cup semi-final between Toulon and Saracens at Twickenham today.
Farrell was only 11-years-old when Wilkinson kicked the decisive drop-goal in England’s World Cup final win against Australia in 2003.
But the Saracens star now finds himself wearing the England No 10 shirt that Wilkinson wore with such distinction in 91 Tests before retiring from national service two years ago.
“Jonny is someone I respect massively. He set the standard and pushed the bar right up as far as fly-halves are concerned,” said Farrell.
“And he’s still doing that today, not just by the way he is on the field but by the way he is off it as well.
“He’s an unbelievable player who works so hard to get to where he needs to be. Everyone wants to follow in his footsteps.
“Not only does he control the game and everyone knows about the work he puts into his kicking, but he smashes people as well. “He gets stuck in and puts his hands up for the team. A lot of people respect him for that.”
Farrell’s committed approach to rugby has long been compared to that of Wilkinson -- and it was a comparison England’s record points scorer was happy to endorse on Friday.
“I had the good fortune to meet Owen at a young age at the 2007 World Cup. I saw even at that young age that he had what I had -- I realised he had 10 years to play with it,” Wilkinson recalled.
“It’s great to see someone who covers every area. He steps up and kicks a goal, then makes a tackle and then takes responsibility to make a call.”
The similarities between Farrell and Wilkinson also extend to their respective clubs.
Toulon, who like Saracens are bidding for a maiden European Cup crown, now face the same accusations with the wealth of owner Mourad Boudjellal, who made his fortunes in comics, helping the French side sign the likes of Wilkinson, New Zealand’s Carl Heyman and South Afica’s Danie Rossouw. AFP
