Farrell’s our new Wilkinson
Tuilagi toasts young fly-half’s display in Six Nations defeat
ENGLAND centre Manu Tuilagi has hailed young fly-half Owen Farrell as the heir to Jonny Wilkinson after his impressive Twickenham debut.
Saracens back Farrell could not prevent England slipping to a 19-12 Six Nations defeat to Wales as Warren Gatland’s men sealed the Triple Crown on Saturday.
But Tuilagi saw enough from his team-mate to predict the 20-year-old can emulate the influence of World Cup-winning No10 Wilkinson.
“I was very impressed with Owen. He can definitely inspire the team the way Jonny did,” said the Leicester powerhouse. “The way he played, he controlled the ball really well, he kicked well. He’s definitely the guy who can take us forward. For a young guy coming into the team to produce a performance like that is just what you want from your players. I’m really proud of him.”
Farrell was making only his third Test start and his first at HQ for an England team reinvented by interim head coach Stuart Lancaster.
But for his club colleague David Strettle’s injury-time try being disallowed following video replays, the home side could have taken more than just credit from a close contest.
Farrell said: “If there was ever any such thing as a good loss, then that was it. The way we fought for each other, the way we defended and attacked was outstanding at times.”