Faz: I'll take captaincy

11:30am Monday 21st July 2008

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Andy Farrell says he would relish the chance to captain Saracens in the new Guinness Premiership season which he believes could finally yield the silverware they crave.

The Men in Black’s famous rugby league import is revered for his leadership qualities and is one of the front runners to take the skipper’s armband for the new campaign along with last year’s leader Neil de Kock and new signings Steve Borthwick and Wikus van Heerden.

The squad returned from a gruelling six day training camp in Portugal on Friday and director of rugby Eddie Jones will shortly take them to Portsmouth, where the Royal Navy will be awaiting with ‘leaderless’ skills. These will allow Jones and his coaching team to identify those who stand out from the crowd and who can drag Sarries out of the mire when things go against them next season.

Farrell possesses both qualities and is keen to make a big impact this season after his involvement was cut short by injury last time out, and not for the first time. The quick-handling centre missed the start of last season as he was part of England’s World Cup squad.

However, upon his return from France he hit his best form for Sarries including a try-scoring, monumental display in the agonising 22-21 Heineken Cup defeat at Biarritz. The code-breaker then helped Sarries clinch an EDF Energy Cup semi-final place after coming off the bench when all looked lost against Llanelli Scarlets before playing a pivotal role in their unexpected run to the Heineken Cup semis.

However, that came at a price as Farrell suffered a ruptured shoulder during the first half of the memorable 19-10 triumph over Ospreys in the last eight, forcing him to miss the semi final with Munster and the last four Premiership games.

“It was a bit of both really,” said Farrell when asked if he was happy or frustrated with his contribution last season. “I started off well with England at the World Cup, which was a great experience.

"I came back to Saracens and played well for a couple of games and then I got injured towards the end. I did think ‘oh no, not again’ but these things happen and there is no point worrying about it. You’ve just got to get on with it.”

Farrell’s mental fortitude has again come to the fore as he battles to prove his doubters wrong. The Lancastrian put his family holiday on hiatus to hit the gym earlier than any other squad member and, while he won’t admit it, now appears to be fitter than ever.

Wing Edd Thrower can vouch for that - he doubled up as a punch bag for a snarling Farrell during a training session on the Algarve and has the bruises to prove it was not just a sparring session.

“We’ve been in training for four weeks to get our fitness and strength levels up and with the ELVs coming in we’ve made a lot of good changes in training to get the best out of those,” he added. “I’ve been training every day and doing as well as I can. I’ve had a 17 year career and I always put the hard work in every year.

“My main focus is for the team - I just want to help Saracens win something. The new coaching staff is in place to do that this year after the great strides the club has made over the past few seasons.”

Should Farrell be offered the captaincy it will provide the former Wigan Warriors and Great Britain Rugby League captain with a massive boost and maybe convince his detractors that his code switch should start to be considered a success.

“I would take it on, of course,” said Farrell of the captaincy. “I’ve done that role before but we’ve got a lot of quality leaders here, so whoever gets it won’t be alone.

“Life under Eddie is very good. Things are very organised and every player knows exactly where they are at and what is expected of them. He has very high standards and it is up to up to reach them. He expects us to improve ourselves every day.

“Leadership is a big theme with the players and that we must take responsibility for ourselves. Look at next season - we’ve got a lot of experienced players and now it is very much a matter of ensuring these players gel together.”

Farrell, who swerved any questions to do with England, signed a new two year deal earlier this year at the same time as his teenage son, Academy prospect Owen, and is excited at what Saracens could achieve this year having reached four semi-finals in the last two seasons.

“We’ve definitely got a good enough side,” replied Farrell when quizzed whether Sarries’ can go one step further. “Everyone is getting use to the new laws and we’re working extremely hard to ensure we known them inside out.

“Michael Owen is already speaking out while you can see how good a player Steve Borthwick is. It is early days for him here but he’s very experienced and we’ve got some more quality players still to arrive. It’s nice to see another great pro here.”

Farrell says it is imperative Sarries get the new season off to a good start and thinks that should come naturally as all the players try to keep their first team places under the watchful eye of no-nonsense Jones.

“We will go into the new season knowing we have prepared to our best,” commented the back. “It all goes into the start. If we can built some momentum from the start and get out of the traps it will do wonders for us. When your under a new regime everyone is keen to impress and that could work in our favour.”