Former England skipper Owen Farrell features in the top 14 after his move. Failed to make a lasting impression during his first five months in France. . According to French rugby newspaper Midi Olympique, the 33-year-old left Saracens to sign a two-year contract at Racing 92, but failed to shine from the start during his stay in Paris.
Farrell, who is currently injured following surgery in November to fix a groin problem, has been sidelined since making eight appearances for Stuart Lancaster’s side. He has now been described as the biggest transfer disappointment of the 2024/25 season.
Written by Midi Olympique : “What does Owen Farrell stand for? A world of his own: 1,237 points in 112 appearances for the England national team, six Premiership titles, and three Champions Cup wins.
“The moment the former Saracens playmaker stepped into the top 14, we were confident that Racing would have the face of the French champions this year. And then? Disappointment is always proportional to the admiration we feel. Farrell’s neutral performance quickly plunged us into the abyss of disappointment.
“He’s definitely aggressive in the tackle, but he’s too slow in his attack animation. And despite his pedigree, he preferred to leave the penalty shoot-out to Nolann Le Garrec.
At the time of this first review, how could we not be impressed by the very early stages of Owen Farrell, a master of the game for many years?
Check out our mid-season flop: https://t.co/H4BOZ5nHmT pic.twitter.com/4qwAhhfCAW
– RUGBYRAMA (@RugbyramaFR) January 3, 2025
“However, Hauts-de-Seine say Farrell, who recently had groin surgery, has been out of form due to this injury and will look a completely different face when he returns against the Stormers on January 18. .”
Other players featured in Midi’s top 10 list of transfer flops include Antoine Frisch of No3 Toulon, a French midfielder signed from Munster, Harry Williams of No4 Pau, an English player signed from Montpellier, and No8 Clermont of Clermont, signed from Montpellier. There’s Michael Alaalatoa. Leinster.
The assessment of Frisch claimed he “has yet to deliver on the promises” he made in his hiring. “The Fontainebleau native does not have enough influence on the Bar game and is too timid with the ball in his hands to make a real difference at an individual level.”
Former England front-rower Williams said: “Harry Williams had had a difficult first year in France at Montpellier, and he arrived at Pau hoping to show that it was just a combination of misunderstandings. “His level of play at Exeter is disappointing.”
Meanwhile, Alaalatoa has been criticized for Regis Montagne and Christian Ojovan getting more game time than him at Clermont.
