Former England captain Owen Farrell has heaped praise on teenage sensation Noah Caluori, highlighting the 19-year-old's confidence and physical prowess during a remarkable breakout season. Caluori, an England under-20 international, scored five tries against Sale for the second time this campaign, first on his Premiership debut for Saracens in October and again this weekend in a record 85-19 victory for the club.
Caluori's Stellar Season
The winger's exploits have given Saracens a lifeline in their pursuit of a Premiership play-off spot and bolstered his case for inclusion in the senior England squad this summer. Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall described Caluori's performance as one of the best wing displays he has seen in the Premiership for a long time. "We have had Chris Ashton, Sean Maitland and David Strettle at the club, but I am not sure I have seen as much from one player in one game," McCall said.
Farrell's Admiration
Farrell added his voice to the chorus of admirers, telling The Telegraph: "Everyone sees all the high-ball stuff and his finishing, but he has at times done an unbelievable job coming off his wing and taking some tough carries as well. The highlighted bits that everyone sees are not just the only thing that he does. He is big and strong as well, and he makes a difference all over the field."
Caluori has scored 17 Premiership tries this season from just six starts, outshining current England right wing Tom Roebuck in the latest victory over Sale. His rapid rise is even more remarkable given that just three weeks prior, he was on loan at Ampthill in the Championship.
Confidence and Improvement
Farrell emphasised Caluori's confidence and willingness to improve as key attributes. "He's obviously special. When he speaks, he knows he wants to get better. He knows he has to, he knows he wants to learn more and he wants to do it as quickly as possible. But he's great in terms of how much he backs himself at the same time, I would have never been like that when I was younger," Farrell said.
Farrell on England Return
Farrell dismissed speculation about his own potential return to the England setup, stating: "I've not given it a lot of thought, and I don't know if I need to do anything different other than what I am doing anyway, which is just trying to get on and be the best that I can be and the best help I can be around here. It [the World Cup] is a long way off at the minute. I know everybody wants to talk about it and rightly so, but I just want to crack on with what I am doing."
