2022 Lyon OU vs Saracens F.C.

Owen Farrell Scuffles With Lyon Players After Questionable Tackle

Owen Farrell Scuffles With Lyon Players After Questionable Tackle

England's Owen Farrell was at the center of a skirmish between Saracens and Lyon players after he was the recipient of a questionable tackle.

Dec 20, 2022 by RugbyPass
Owen Farrell Scuffles With Lyon Players After Questionable Tackle

England fly-half Owen Farrell was at the center of a skirmish between Saracens and Lyon players after he was the recipient of a questionable tackle at the Matmut Stadium.

Saracens bagged an impressive 28-20 Champions Cup away victory, but the Londoners didn't have it all their own way in a game that was filled with incident.

One such incident came in the 41st minute, when Farrell was hit hard after he had cleared a kick downfield, which ultimately led to a try for the hosts. 

However, as the try was scored, a sizeable group of players from both sides were involved in a scuffle that had arisen after Farrell reacted the borderline late tackle.

Referee Frank Murphy and TMO Leo Colgan adjudicated that the hit was not late, and the Lyon try stood.

Farrell was on the receiving end this time, but the England star's own tackle technique often has been the subject of debate and controversy in the rugby community. 

One of the main criticisms of Farrell's tackling technique is that he often leads with his shoulder, rather than using his arms to wrap around the ball carrier. 

Farrell, who is known for his physicality and competitiveness on the field, wasn't ready to back down from the Lyon players.

Saracens Director of Rugby Mark McCall has made just one change to the starting XV for the trip to France, with Callum Hunter-Hill starting in place of Maro Itoje, who picked up a knock in training.

There was one alteration to the bench, with Max Malins recovering from a hamstring injury to return to the matchday squad.

Sarries won their first European crown there back in 2016, and their win at the Matmut Stadium has built on their opening-day victory over Edinburgh last weekend in the first round of Heineken Champions Cup games.