Former England captain Owen Farrell is now heading to South Africa

It could prove to be a particularly special occasion for Saracens fans, with reports suggesting it may mark Owen Farrell’s first appearance back in a Sarries shirt since his move to Racing 92 fell through.

about his ongoing rivalry with Owen Farrell.

The fixture pits two of the world’s most recognisable clubs against one another, providing both squads with the perfect test ahead of the new campaign. But the week is about more than just the 80 minutes on the pitch.

Throughout the tour, The Sharks and Saracens will collaborate across a range of rugby disciplines, sharing knowledge and ideas that highlight both clubs’ ambition to stay at the cutting edge of the professional game.

Off the field, the partnership carries strong cultural and community links. Durban offers the perfect backdrop for a uniquely South African experience, while both teams will also engage in outreach initiatives to showcase rugby’s ability to drive social impact.

“The opportunity to host Saracens here in Durban is one that we value immensely,” said Sharks CEO Shaun Bryans. “This match gives our players a top-level challenge as we prepare for the season, while also strengthening our relationship with Saracens, a club that shares our vision for excellence and impact on and off the field.”

For fans, it’s a rare chance to see two powerhouse rugby cultures collide – and possibly witness Farrell’s long-awaited return.

? Tickets for the Hollywoodbets double-header (Sharks vs Saracens and Sharks XV vs Pumas) on Friday, 5 September are available now at www.sharksrugby.co.za or at The Sharks Ticket Office.

Former England lock Attwood has opened up on the latest RugbyPass Offload

The Bath lock won the last of his 24 caps for England back in 2016, which could have a lot to do with his relationship with the current England captain.

He revealed: "On the pitch, I struggle a lot with Owen Farrell. We just don’t see eye to eye on a lot of things,

“He hates me with a passion. Despite my earthy roots, he thinks I am a posh c***. He hates that. I bagged rugby league once jovially. I was saying it to take the piss kind of thing, ‘a bloody sport for the peasants’. He f**kin’ hated it.

"He had a bit of a shout at me and went off to the toilet and I followed him.

“We all had a drink or two after the game but we didn’t need to get carried away with this. I was in the urinal behind the door and he was three or four down and as I got in his dad walked in as well, he was coaching at the time. He was, ‘I don’t want to fuckin’ hear it’ or something like that and as he walked out he went to open the door and slam it into the back of me. There was like a stop on the floor so it hit the stop and almost clocked him back…

“We never really addressed it after that. That was where it started and it was like a drunken little bit of argy that went too far. He is an incredibly competitive athlete and he is also very f**kin’ good, he has got high standards. He is a very competitive athlete and in order to be that good, you have to flirt on the wrong side of competitive.

“So whenever we play each other there is always some element in the game where one of us is running at the other one or we are trying to bang each other. There always seems to be an element of that to it. I am sure he is like, I don’t even know that Dave is playing.”

The Scotland back-rower was the instigator in some tunnel argy-bargy when the players returned to the changing rooms after the warm-up back in 2018 with Farrell at the centre.

Footage of the incident shows all hell breaking loose when Farrell barged his way past a number of Scotland players to confront Wilson, who had been attempting to get inside the head of George Ford.

Wilson later revealed he was banned from Twickenham following the incident.

“I remember that game, I was actually injured and after tunnel-gate, after everything that happened in the tunnel against England, I’d lined up a corporate gig at Twickenham,” he recalled to Rugby Pass in November.

“Had it all lined up, a little bit of cash, all excited, only to get a message back saying the RFU have banned you from Twickenham Stadium after everything that happened the year before.

The pair have what we can only describe as a love-hate relationship. As legendary as the 'best mates' videos were during the 2016 tour of Australia, Farrell certainly didn't seem to be enjoying it.

Farrell and De Klerk ended up at arm’s length from each other in 2018 during their summer tour just before the 20-minute mark and the rest of the two sides quickly joined in.

The pair have since clashes on multiple occasions, including during the World Cup final a year later. Klerk is clearly someone who gets under the England skippers skin and their appears to be little love lost between the pair.

Speaking about the pair, Tom Curry said they are 'very different characters'.

In the storied history of Rugby's Greatest Championship, exceptional leaders have emerged—warriors of various forms, be they agile half-backs, towering second rows, or fearless flankers.

Our latest quiz invites you to identify those who have captained their nations to Guinness Six Nations glory. It's worth noting that in certain instances, there may be multiple captains from the same year due to factors such as injuries and rotation.

Surnames only will be accepted.