Farrell key to English Six Nations chances against Wales
Published:Owen Farrell has enjoyed a scorching start to this year’s Six Nations tournament, kicking 22 of England’s 32 points in their opening two matches, and his inclusion against Wales will see patriotic punters rest easier at the thought of backing England to win at 5/4.
20-year-old Farrell, whose father Andy is a coach for the English national side, has demonstrated ice cool composure that belies his tender age during his opening two international appearances, and looks set to become a regular fixture in a side that is aiming to prevent Wales collecting a Triple Crown accolade at Twickenham.
A win for England would see them move within one victory of achieving the same feat, and they can currently be backed at 3/1 for Triple Crown glory.
The perfectionist kicking of Farrell would certainly seem to give them a chance, and the driven and tireless centre will be eager to continue his sparkling form throughout the remainder of the Six Nations, which England are 9/2 to win.
Perhaps what has been most impressive regarding Farrell’s demonstration of unnerving kicking technique in England’s openers, has been the circumstances of each match and the types of atmosphere they have been played in.
England found themselves behind at half-time during Farrell’s debut at Murrayfield, but he inspired a comeback that saw England claim a first victory away to Scotland in six years.
He also went on to convert a series of impressive penalties in the packed Stadio Olimpico of Rome, again steering England away from the brink of defeat after falling behind at the break.
Having kicked such a large majority of what has been a relatively low total of points over two matches for England, Farrell could again contribute to a narrow England win to further cement their Six Nations credentials.
It is 2/1 that the home side triumph over Wales by 1-12 points at Twickenham on Saturday, and this price deserves attention.
