McCall plays down talk of Owen Farrell leaving Racing to make Saracens return

The Saracens director of rugby, Mark McCall, has declined to comment on reports that the former club captain and England fly-half Owen Farrell is considering a Premiership return.

Farrell left Saracens at the end of last season after a 16-year stint with the Premiership club. He moved to Paris-based Racing 92, but it has proved a testing campaign for him in terms of injuries and Stuart Lancaster left as head coach in January.

Asked about any possible Saracens return, McCall said: “It’s just not worth answering, to be honest, because as far as I know he is under contract at Racing and has a year left. There are so many of these stories that come out. As you know from me down the years, there is no point talking about something that is so pie in the sky. It’s ­better for me not to comment.”

McCall did say he would be surprised if the 33-year-old’s rugby future did not lie in coaching. Saracens are close to appointing a new attack specialist after Kevin Sorrell announced he would leave the club when this season finishes.

While McCall said Farrell had not been interviewed for that post, he sees clear coaching credentials in the 112-cap former England captain. “I would be very surprised if he didn’t commit to coaching, to be honest,” McCall said. “Rugby is in his skin. He has got a great IQ and a passion and love for it, like his dad [Andy Farrell]. I would be absolutely amazed if that wasn’t what he wanted to do. But I can tell you it won’t be him who will be our next attack coach. He hasn’t been interviewed. He is a player for now, and has 14 months left on his contract with Racing.”

Farrell’s former England teammate, the Leicester prop Dan Cole, has announced he will retire at the end of this season. The 38-year-old, England’s second-most capped men’s player with 118, will hang up his boots at the conclusion of Leicester’s campaign.

Cole featured in four World Cups, reaching the final in 2019, and has won four Premiership titles with Leicester. He also toured twice with the British & Irish Lions. The veteran said his decision was influenced partly by that of Ben Youngs, his longtime teammate for club and country, who is also retiring.

Cole told Leicester’s website: “It has not been an easy decision at all. I have been to-ing and fro-ing – however, I think this is the best time for me to finish playing. I believe with Ben Youngs, Julián Montoya and others that are in and around my age ending their time at the club at the end of the season, plus the new chapter next season with Geoff Parling coming in as head coach, it’s time for the club to kick on and the right time for me to go.

“As you get older, physically, it’s definitely harder to carry on and, looking around the changing room, I am 10 years older than most of the guys in there with me and that’s challenging as well. I don’t want to be the old guy, just sat around and hanging on to something for too long.”

The England head coach, Steve Borthwick, said: “It was a privilege to play alongside Dan at the start of his Test career and later to coach him. He’s not only a brilliant team player, but also a rare talent. His loyalty and service to both England and Leicester Tigers have been truly outstanding.”

Cole played all three Lions Tests against Australia in 2013 and also toured New Zealand four years later. He has a chance to bow out with another title with Leicester second in the Premiership before the final round of regular-season fixtures.