Toulon vs Saracens: Owen Farrell to return from injury for European Champions Cup showdown

Back in action: Owen Farrell trains with Saracens this week ahead of his comeback from injury against Toulon tomorrow

Rex Features

Chris Jones14 October 2016

Owen Farrell spearheads the start of Saracens’ European Champions Cup defence against Toulon tomorrow despite missing the first six games of the season with injuries that stopped him kicking.

The 25-year-old, who only started place kicking last weekend due to back and hip problems, fired all of Saracens’ points as they beat Racing 92 to win the Champions Cup in Lyon last May.

Director of rugby Mark McCall has decided to gamble on Farrell handling the physical challenge of one of the biggest club games in Europe this season against the three-times winners from the South of France.

McCall said: “Owen is an influential member of the squad and I think he can definitely come straight into the team. Six weeks isn’t so long. We have a group who relish these kinds of challenges and big occasions — I am confident that our players will thrive in such an atmosphere.”

Alex Lozowski, who earned an England call-up for guiding the club to the top of the Premiership in Farrell’s absence, drops to the bench.

England coach Eddie Jones will be watching Farrell closely, having suffered a raft of injury problems leading into the autumn Tests against South Africa, Fiji, Argentina and Australia.

There are three survivors from Saracens’ last visit to Toulon in 2009, with Brad Barritt, Alex Goode and Chris Wyles all in the side. Barritt captains from centre and is partnered by Marcelo Bosch, while Goode and Wyles are joined by Sean Maitland in the back three. Jackson Wray will make his 150th Saracens appearance alongside Billy Vunipola and Schalk Burger in the back row.