Farrell punches above his weight
Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:59
Saracens' high-profile Rugby League convert Andy Farrell is back in full training and the centre has been making up for lost time in the gym and on the training field in Portugal.
Some of his teammates, such as Edd Thrower, will testify to Farrell's new energy.
Thrower felt the full force of Farrell in a boxing session on the beach earlier this week, but that just goes to demonstrate the effort Farrell and the rest of the squad have been putting into every training session on the Algarve.
Farrell injured his shoulder in the Heineken Cup quarterfinal victory over the Ospreys and it was an injury that was to rule him out for the rest of the season. Now he is back in full training and having signed with the club for a further two years, is excited by what lies ahead for Saracens.
"It was massively frustrating to get the injury," he told the Saracens website.
"Having to go off in the game was bad enough but then to miss out on the semifinal was very hard to take. The good news is that I'm back in training and pre-season is going very well.
"There's a real freshness about the club at the moment and everyone is up for the year ahead. There is still a long way to go before the first game and plenty of hard work to do, but everything is going in the right direction."
And Farrell is just as excited about the new faces who are in the squad this season – two of who have already been playing their part in Portugal.
"Guys like Steve Borthwick and Michael Owen have come here for a reason – they realise there is a lot of potential here and that's something we've all believed for a good few years now. It's the same with the new coaching staff – this is a club that has high quality people throughout the squad and backroom team.
"Michael and Steve have been there and done it and have lots of experience and enthusiasm. They have also joined us at times in their careers when they still have their best years ahead of them to take the club forward.
"I've worked with Steve in the England squads and he is hugely passionate about his rugby – not just in terms of his own game but also the team. That's why he is captain of England. He's someone who works extremely hard on his game and is always looking to improve and that will rub off on the rest of the squad."
Farrell is now in his fourth season with the North London club and the former Great Britain Rugby League captain's desire to succeed is just as strong as ever.
He added: "We've shown we can make the semi-finals of competitions but now it's time to take that up a notch and get to finals and win something. That's why I came to Saracens and that desire is still there. I want to win trophies at this club and be part of helping to make Saracens a successful side for many years to come."
