If the erstwhile England captain links up with Racing 92 in Paris, as seems increasingly on the cards, it will be the most hotly debated Anglo-French marriage since Henry XIII's 18-year-old sister, Mary, married Louis XII, the 52-year-old King of France, in 1514.
This latter liaison, as it happens, lasted only three months before Louis died as a consequence of either gout or (allegedly) his exertions in the bedchamber.
And they say modern rugby is bad for you. Here's hoping the 32-year-old Farrell, should he relocate across the Channel, is able to enjoy a less fraught experience and rediscovers the missing joie de vivre that has led him to step aside from the national squad.
Whether he stays or goes, though, the Saracens fly-half has given the English game the most abrupt of January wake-up calls. Is this really the shape of things to come: the Premiership unable to compete with the wealthiest Top 14 clubs, even north London's most cherished crown jewels vulnerable to Gallic raiders? Nor are we just talking about the Top 14. The weekend sighting of Courtney Lawes at the ProD2 side Provence - who have signed his former British & Irish Lions teammate George North - offered a further glimpse of the way the oval-ball wind is increasingly blowing.
Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin January 09, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin January 09, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
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