ADAM POWELL has all the attributes to carve out a glittering England career, according to his shirt rival Andy Farrell.

The vibrant centre, who turned 21 on New Year's Day, emerged as Farrell's main threat for a starting place last season after the then injured Ben Johnston opted to join Northampton Saints.

He has already surpassed his two tries from last season with five to his name this campaign, his total almost quadrupling Farrell's brace for the club.

Farrell has experienced mixed emotions this week, the code breaker failing to make England's Six Nations squad less than 24 hours after he signed a new two year deal with Saracens.

The snub is particularly harsh on Farrell, who was taken to the World Cup on the back of just over a dozen starts last season.

Since returning from France, where a calf strain cost him a starting place in the quarter final with Australia, the 32-year-old has been in peremptory mood for his club, weighing in with several man-of-the-match displays and almost single-handedly bringing down Biarritz and Llanelli Scarlets.

Farrell's sizzling form has reduced Powell to just three starts in the last 10 games and the youngster will again bide his time on the bench tomorrow.

However, the rugby league legend is confident his understudy will eclipse his own eight international caps.

"Adam is a great player," said Farrell. "He's very strong, his skill levels are improving every week and are very high now. He knows his way to the try-line and his defence is very solid.

"Adam is an all-round great player with a great attitude that is getting better all the time. That is exactly what you need to keep progressing and he definitely has his feet on the ground.

"We've got great relationship and rivalry for any position is what is needed within the squad to make it successful."

Sarries director of rugby Alan Gaffney also holds the youngster in high regard, adding: "Powelly is a good player and will contest the Six Nations himself very soon."

Farrell, whose 16-year-old son Owen penned a three year deal with the club's academy this week, is delighted to stay at Sarries, where he is expected to end his playing career at the age of 35. He admitted rugby league clubs had kept tabs on his future plans but was adamant there was only ever one option in his mind.

"I am definitely enjoying my best form in union," he added. "I am still learning and getting better and am becoming a lot more confident every time I take to the field.

"I've got a lot of friends in rugby league but it's never been in my mind (to go back). I have made it very clear to people that I have enjoyed myself for the last three years, so there was never any danger of that happening."

Farrell is in the side that takes on Biarritz in tomorrow's make or break Heineken Cup clash and he revealed the players are desperate to win a trophy for Gaffney, who steps aside for Eddie Jones next season.

"To win a trophy would be absolutely fantastic," he added. "When Alan came to the club a couple of years ago we were all over the place. We were scraping top four or five in the league three or four years ago, then we were back down again.

"Over the past 18 months we have shown we can mix and match it with anybody. We need to take that next step and push on from the belief we are a top four side to a top two side. I think it's all about a bit of self belief and Alan will instil that for the rest of the year."

The ousted England centre cannot wait to tangle with Damien Traille once again and sees no reason why Sarries cannot qualify beyond the group stages for the first time.

"We believe we can get into the quarter finals - the next step is what we do from there," he commented. "I believe we have the confidence to take the game to Biarritz although they are a side that qualify regularly and this game is do or die for them which makes it a little bit harder.

"Biarritz are a side that play to the whistle and they always manage to scrape a win and progress to the next level and we have to be aware of that. But we believe we can win at the weekend."