Owen Farrell is Saracens' greatest-ever player, says Lawrence Dallaglio ahead of Racing 92 move - 'A serial winner'

Lawrence Dallaglio hailed “talisman and leader” Owen Farrell as Saracens’ greatest-ever player ahead of the departing fly-half’s 250th appearance for the Gallagher Premiership Rugby champions.

Farrell will depart the club he has starred for since he was a teenager at the end of the season, having agreed a deal with French side Racing 92.

But for now his focus is on a successful Premiership title defence and the 32-year-old is fresh and firing for the run-in after deciding to skip the Six Nations with England to prioritise his mental health.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s blockbuster clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, live on TNT Sports, former England star and World Cup winner Dallaglio was asked if Farrell is Sarries’ greatest player.

“I think he is, yes. He’s their talisman, their leader. He’s a serial winner,” Dallaglio said.

“It’s such a boost for Saracens and for Owen for him to have stepped away and had that break. He looks fit, fresh, very relaxed but make no mistake – he’s hungry. He’s the driver of this team on the field certainly, with Mark McCall and the coaches off the field.

“His achievements today are extraordinary and he’s going to carry on.

“They [Saracens] will still be the team to beat. They are the champion team, they’re timing their run. They’re not at the top of the table where they’ve been previously but expect big things from him. 250 not out.”

Former Sarries and England winger Chris Ashton also paid tribute to his former team-mate, underlining how crucial he has been to shaping the club’s identity during his 16-year spell.

“The moment he came in here at Saracens was almost a changing point for the whole club,” Ashton said.

“He was so young when he first won the competition and he’s been central to the way that they play. A couple of years ago they did a kicking game, then they changed it to this running game that we didn’t associate with Saracens at all.

“Some players moved on and Owen was central to that, how they wanted to play in moving the ball around.

“That’s how the club has operated since he has been there, so it’s going to see a massive change when he moves on at the end of this year and he will want to finish it right.”

Farrell’s move to Paris in the summer will see him join a star-studded Racing side.

One of their pin-up players is South Africa’s World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi, who spoke to TNT Sports this week about his excitement at playing alongside England’s all-time top points scorer.

"I can’t wait. I love Owen, I think he’s amazing. He’s more detailed than I think I am in a game, so in that way he can push the guys and keep the guys accountable,” Kolisi said.

"He has run big teams before. The England team and Saracens have done such great things so I think it will be great to have him.

"A lot of people never thought they would see us in the same team but I can’t wait, I’m honestly excited, I think it’ll be great for the group."

- - -

TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media