PRE-MATCH PRESS | Owen Farrell on his return to North London

Owen Farrell is set to return to North London this weekend as Saracens take on Bristol Bears in round two of the Gallagher Prem.

The England centurion will make his famed return to StoneX Stadium 504 days on from his last Saracens game in NW4.

Speaking ahead of the clash, Farrell reflected on coming back to familiar surroundings and the excitement of being part of a rebuilding squad.

"It's home, really. It's made it easy. I know the place a little bit, and I know a lot of the people here."

Having made his full return to action in Newcastle last Friday night, the British and Irish Lion highlighted the energy and hunger in the current squad, particularly from the younger players pushing their way into the first team.

"Coming into a group of players that's hungry, the young lads pushing through, has made it easy. They're not biding their time or waiting for it to fall in their lap, they're going after it in training, and it lifts the standard for everyone.

People are really pushing to play, and that energy shows in training. It's about trying to get the best out of everything now, which sets us up best for the future."

Farrell also spoke about the new project at Saracens, describing the start of what he sees as a rebuild.

"That new project must be quite interesting… this is the start of year two, the beginning of a rebuild. I guess with the young lads coming through, there's a lot of upsides, which is exciting," he said.

Reflecting on his own mindset coming back to the club, Farrell added, "Things sometimes go well, things sometimes don't, but you come back hungrier to do better again. It's been nice having a fresh pair of eyes on things compared to before, and I've enjoyed it."