#Faz100 | A tribute to our Captain
Our very own Club Captain Owen Farrell will become just the third Englishman to get 100 caps for his country when England take on New Zealand on Saturday at Twickenham.
Joining an illustrious group alongside Jason Leonard and Ben Youngs, Farrell will bring up a century of appearances 10 years after making his debut against Scotland at Murrayfield.
With 228 appearances for Saracens and six for the British & Irish Lions to go alongside his England caps, he has cemented himself as one of the greats of the modern game.
Five Premiership titles, three European trophies, three Six Nations titles and a Lions test winning series demonstrate the incredible achievements he has made in the sport, so we asked some of the people closest to him to pay tribute to a huge milestone.
Mark McCall
“As a club, we are incredibly proud of Owen and to become only the third English player to achieve 100 caps indicates what a phenomenal milestone he reaches on Saturday.
There is no question that he is one of the greatest players of his generation and to have had a close up view of his career has been a privilege.
His influence and impact on club and country over the last decade is without parallel.”
Jamie George
“I’m running out of superlatives for Owen to be honest. The success of the club and the international team would not have happened without him leading the way.
From the age of 14 he has shown what it takes to be the best and 15 years on, his constant drive and determination is still inspiring.”
Lucy Wray
“To be only the third EVER player to reach 100 caps for England is a phenomenal achievement. I know Owen won’t mind me giving some credit to his incredible family too and the support they have given him.
We are all so proud of Owen and so lucky to have him and his family as part of our Sarries family. Thank you Owen for being you and for always bringing all of yourself in the pursuit of excellence.”
Jackson Wray
“To reach 100 appearances for England is an unbelievable achievement. Since we met I knew Owen's drive and passion to get better would lead him to brilliant things for club and country and he's turned into an incredible player and leader.”
I’m sure he’ll be going on to make many more over the coming years.”
Nigel Wray
“I remember standing in an airport before some away game in Europe, when Owen, who was about 16 years old turned up, and I thought to myself he surely can't be playing. But he was and he still is and on Saturday he will have 100 caps for his country, a quite remarkable achievement.
Through all that time he's remained true to himself, stuck to his roots and developed too as a real family man. It's been a real pleasure to see him grow, not just as a rugby player but as a person. I'm looking forward to seeing him accomplish a lot more yet!”
Elliot Daly
“What can you say about Owen that hasn’t been said. He is one of the best players in the world and he shows why he is every time he steps out on a rugby pitch.
I am lucky enough to play with him on the pitch and call him a dear friend off of it. 100 caps for your country for someone of his age is incredible and inspiring.”
Joe Shaw
“We are all absolutely delighted for Owen to be getting his 100th cap this weekend. He is an unbelievable leader for both club and country and everyone at Saracens is enormously proud of this achievement.”