‘Angry-man’ Owen Farrell can fire World Cup success
Earle Kirton, New Zealand’s fly-half before joining Harlequins as captain and then coach, is backing the hosts to beat Wales in the pool stage and go all the way behind their “angry young man” – Owen Farrell.
“He’s an angry young man at present but I don’t see any problem with that,” says Kirton. “He wants to get better and that attitude will help him. It’s the kind of attitude that wins Test matches.
“Farrell’s not a bad player. He’s aggressive, tackles hard and kicks pretty well.
“England are improving and they will go on improving between now and the World Cup under Stuart Lancaster.
“It’s good for England that he’s trying to play a wider game. They have to be able to throw the ball around so that when they’re not winning up front, they know they can use their backs to seal the deal.
“I don’t think they’re as agile at the break down as the All Blacks or Springboks but they’re a hell of a lot better than they were and they will keep getting better. Wales are well organised under Warren Gatland but I can’t see them beating England – not at Twickenham.
“I know England lost all three Tests to the All Blacks out here a couple of months ago but they made a reasonable challenge and that’s not meant to sound condescending. New Zealand will be away from home and they haven’t performed away from home at World Cups with the exception of South Africa in 1995. In another 12 months, England should be good enough to make the most of home advantage and go all the way.”
Kirton, an innovative fly-half in the first New Zealand team to set a world record 17 straight Tests in 1969, left an indelible mark on English rugby by giving the then 18-year-old Woodward his first big break – at fly-half against Cardiff at Twickenham in 1974.
A dentist by profession, Kirton made his Test debut at the same venue seven years earlier. After returning to New Zealand, he renewed his All Black association as a selector and coach.
The All Blacks’ six-try blitz of Australia in Auckland yesterday means that in 40 Tests since the start of the last World Cup three years ago they have been beaten just once – 38-21 by England at Twickenham in December 2012.
Kirton believes that the All Blacks need Dan Carter fit and firing if they are to be the first country to win successive World Cups.
“I’ve seen a lot of good fly- halves but never one as good as Carter,” Kirton says. ‘I thought it was impossible for a ten to go through a game without making at least one mistake and then I saw Dan against the Lions at Wellington in 2005 – perfection.”
PETER JACKSON
*This article was first published in The Rugby Paper on August 24.
