Owen Farrell contract: Outside-half joy at signing long-term Saracens deal

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Owen Farrell may turn out to be a “one club man”, something of a rarity in this day and age, after yesterday signing a long-term contract extension with Saracens – a move that put the England outside-half in a very different category to his Australian counterpart Quade Cooper, who is not much interested in being a “one country man”, let alone re-committing himself to his current employers in Queensland.

Cooper, a New Zealander by birth and long established as one of the great mavericks of modern rugby, is expected to head to France after this autumn’s World Cup, with Toulon the molten favourites to beat Montpellier in the race for his signature. According to reports on the far side of the Channel, the double European champions already have his name on a contract, along with those of the All Black centre Ma’a Nonu and two of Northampton’s international forwards, Salesi Ma’afu and Samu Manoa. Australian sources insisted that nothing had been finalised.

Toulon, who will chase an unprecedented third successive European title when they meet Clermont Auvergne at Twickenham a week on Saturday, may draw a blank on the Paul O’Connell front, however. The men from the Cote d’Azur were being heavily linked with the 35-year-old Munster and Ireland captain a few days ago, but they are now distancing themselves from the rumours.

Farrell has his own suitors and plenty of them, but wild horses would not drag him away from Saracens as they continue to close the gap on Europe’s powerhouse clubs. “I owe a lot to this club,” said the 23-year-old goalkicker, whose new deal will keep him in north London until the 2019 World Cup in Japan, “and I hope to give them as much in return. I’ve come through alongside guys who have worked really hard together. You don’t have to ask any of us what it means to pull on a Saracens shirt. We’re constantly improving and I can’t see anyone wanting to leave that behind.”

Meanwhile, there has been another move in the southern hemisphere market by Leicester, who are about to lose the Lions Test second-rower Geoff Parling to Exeter and the All Black forward Brad Thorn to retirement. Twenty-four hours after announcing the signing of the Wallaby back Peter Betham from the Sydney-based Waratahs, the Midlanders confirmed that Mike Fitzgerald, a 28-year-old lock from Auckland currently playing Super 15 rugby in Hamilton with the Chiefs, would be joining them in time for the start of next season.

Nigel Owens of Wales, who refereed the high-scoring Six Nations finale between England and France at Twickenham, will return to the stadium next weekend to control the Toulon-Clermont showpiece.