Ben Youngs has compared former England teammate Owen Farrell to Jude Bellingham, calling him rugby’s equivalent of the football star.
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The comparison came during an episode of the For The Love of Rugby podcast, hosted by former Leicester Tigers and England teammates Dan Cole and Ben Youngs.
The discussion was sparked by Bellingham’s standout performances at the World Cup, and was filmed before England lost their semi-final to Argentina.
After Bellingham scored twice in England’s 2-1 victory over Norway to secure a place in the semi-finals, the conversation turned to which rugby player best matched his influence.
Asked to name someone who thrives in the biggest moments and inspires those around them, Youngs had an immediate answer.
“Owen Farrell. I don’t think I need to overthink this one too much. In terms of captain, leadership, slotting goals, winning mentality, dragging others with him, demanding on the pitch, encouraging.
“In the coal face of it, fought for everything. Owen Farrell, without doubt. He was someone I played with who had the Jude Bellingham effect.”
Cole agreed with the comparison.
“Owen Farrell was my first thought… Like Bellingham, he played on the edge, had a bit of feistiness, some might say petulance to him. But, when you’re playing really well, you can do what you want.”
Farrell has scored more than 1,200 points in over 100 Test appearances, making him one of the highest points scorers in Test rugby history. He also holds the record for the most points scored for both England and Saracens.
Youngs later explained what separates the very best players in the biggest matches.
“What the best players do, the bigger the occasion, the more it gets out of them. In that pressure cooker environment of big Tests, big games, big moments, they don’t always get it right, but they’re exactly where they want to be. It brings the best version of them out.”
