Owen Farrell's masterful performance for Saracens in the 35-3 demolition of the Exeter Chiefs has opened up questions about his suitability to start at fly-half for England in the upcoming Six Nations.

For the last year, Farrell has featured at No. 12 outside Marcus Smith, but with the appointment of Steve Borthwick as national team head coach, his role may change. 

His latest player-of-the-match display Saturday gave Saracens its biggest win over the Chiefs who, in the last few years, have become an unofficial rival of the side from north London.

"𝘞𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘸𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦."

Hear from our Skipper & Player of the Match @owen_faz after a huge win at StoneX 💥#YourSaracens💫 pic.twitter.com/3QBdSivttT

— Saracens Rugby Club (@Saracens) January 1, 2023

The bonus-point win was an exhibition of clinical excellence from Saracens, which dusted off the disappointment of last week's surprise loss to London Irish without even a stutter. 

At the center of the controlled excellence was Farrell, who kicked at goal and assisted tries like so few others can do. 

The stage was set early when the England playmaker received the ball behind halfway, scanned the terrain in front and delivered a perfectly hit low kick, which landed delicately in-field, before bobbling out. Josh Hodge could do little to prevent the 50/22.

Following an early score by Andy Christie, Farrell then masterminded the next try, unleashing a well-weighted kick behind the onrushing Chiefs defensive line to set up Sean Maitland, who scuttled toward the bobbling ball and dotted down. The kick was perfectly judged and almost impossible to defend against, given the speed at which the decision was made.

From then on, Saracens cruised, and Farrell was having a ball. 

He began launching kick bombs high into the air, disorientating the Exeter back three. 

His crowning moment came when Ivan van Zyl distributed the ball to him. Farrell was static and could see defenders charging toward him. Instead of panicking or taking the contact, he swiveled and released a beautiful out-the-back spiral miss-pass to Alex Lewington. No one foresaw the extraordinary pass, which sent the replacement winger try-bound without intervention.

Farrell allowed himself a sly smile, while his teammates encircled to congratulate him on the moment of magic.  

Just some more celebration pics for you all 🎉#YourSaracens💫 pic.twitter.com/Y51qaZdW8Z

— Saracens Rugby Club (@Saracens) January 1, 2023

What made Farrell's exploits all the more impressive were the conditions. 

The wind and rain lingered around the StoneX, making for a less-than-ideal environment for attacking, exhibitionist rugby, yet Farrell still put on a show.

He so often is characterized by his pragmatism and calm decision-making that we forget he also is an exceptionally gifted player with technical abilities that put him amongst the very best. 

The reinvention of Saracens in the last year, where the team has become more interested in increasing its speed of attack, has given Farrell more opportunity to dive into his box of tricks.

The out-the-back pass was just one example of this, but the reaction it stirred shows just how impressive it really was.

The BT Sport commentary team simply described it as an 'unreal' piece of skill, while Ben Coles, a journalist from The Telegraph, jokingly wrote on Twitter: "Woof. I wonder if he'd be a good fly-half for England..."

Coles' comment raises a prescient point about Farrell's place in the new-look England setup. 

In the final stages of Eddie Jones' tenure as head coach, it was Smith who filled the starting 10 jersey. The individual running ability he brings to the table earned him plenty of plaudits and has, at times, made Farrell appear the safer, less creative option. 

However, Farrell's performance against Exeter should act as a reminder of his skill, not only as a game manager, but as an orchestrator of attacking flair.  

Saracens head coach Joe Shaw explained as much after his side's impressive home win.

"Trying to lead a team in those conditions is tough," Shaw said. "It is where you see the ultimate game managers and leaders, and Owen is still at the very forefront of that.

"When you look at the whole of this season, and you see some of the performances we have put in and the tries we have scored, the person who has been at the center of that is Owen, showing off his skillset.

"His kicks into space put Exeter under pressure, and he backed it up with how physical he was in defense. I thought he was superb.

"If you know anything about rugby, you realize what an unbelievable and special talent we have had for this generation.

"He has just turned 31. He has got 100 caps for England, has been on three Lions tours, won everything domestically and captained his country. He is absolutely fantastic."

It remains to be seen who Borthwick selects as his starting 10, but with Smith and George Ford both injured and out at present, Farrell is making a strong case for being the unadulterated first choice. 

Written by Stefan Frost