Owen Farrell could be the final piece in the puzzle for Racing 92 as they search for an elusive Investec Champions Cup title should the England fly-half move to Paris next season, Andy Goode believes.
Speaking on The Rugby Pod this week following reports that emerged from France last week saying the 112-cap England international is close to signing with the Parisian club, Goode said that Farrell has the pedigree in Europe to get Racing over the line after years of falling short.
Dan Carter lost in the final in 2016, Pat Lambie lost in the final in 2018 and Finn Russell lost in the final in 2020, but the three time winner (who beat Racing in 2016), alongside some world class talent, could be the player who finally brings the Champions Cup trophy to La Defense Arena.
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“Racing have a deep, deep history of unbelievable fly-halves that have worn that No10 jersey for them,” Goode said. “You think about the names- Dan Carter, Johnny Sexton, Juan Martin Hernandez, Finn Russell. Obviously they have gone after other players and they’ve ended up possibly with Owen Farrell which is great for him and his family.
“It’s a glamour club. Stuart Lancaster has gone there and there’s a lot of history with Stuart Lancaster as a coach and Owen Farrell and how well they got on.
“Ultimately, the big one for Racing is that they haven’t won the Champions Cup. They have not won the Champions Cup. That’s the big thing. They haven’t got the big trophy. Jacky Lorenzetti the owner has pumped millions and millions and millions of Euros into the club. Yes, they’ve won the Bouclier de Brennus, the Top 14 in France, but they haven’t won the big one, the Investec Champions Cup.
“Someone like Owen Farrell, with all his history as a player in that competition, his attitude around ‘it’s must-win for everything’, how that drives him and that drives standards within his team, it could be the perfect signing for them to win the Champions Cup from next year. The profile of the players in that squad, Siya Kolisi, Gael Fickou in the centres, they have world class players in there.”
Of course, the big-spending Parisians have not been afraid to recruit some world class stars in recent years, none more so that double World Cup winning South Africa captain Siya Kolisi, who arrived after the lifting the Webb Ellis Cup.
Then again, even with the South African’s services this season, Racing lost their opening two matches of the Champions Cup campaign, and face a tricky trip to high-flyers Bath this weekend knowing their hopes of progressing to the knockout stages depend on a win. Otherwise, they will have to wait until next season, with Farrell potentially at the helm, to eventually be crowned European champions.
