These are good times to be a Farrell. Last week, father Andy was appointed as England's caretaker backs coach. On Saturday, son Owen stepped out at Wembley and played a central role in an enthralling match. The result was good for the whole family but they may yet rue the bonus point that the Ospreys took away. Battle will be rejoined in Swansea on Friday night. Mrs Farrell will not be the only one watching.
Truth be told, Owen did not have the happiest of evenings under the arch but he paid tribute to his father afterwards and he was not just trying to get into his good books.
"It [Farrell Sr's appointment] is exciting for me because he's my dad," he said. "It's a massive achievement for him to be recognised for all the work he's put in and a massive decision for him. The club comes first in his eyes. He doesn't want to let anyone down. He's contracted here. But the club were brilliant. It's all about the individual and what's best for the individual. They pushed him to do it."
There has been a growing clamour for Owen's inclusion in the England squad for some time. This is just as well, since Andy could not possibly be accused of nepotism if he relented. Mark McCall, Saracens' director of rugby, urged Andy to take the England role but he acknowledged on Saturday night that it will create "an interesting dynamic" if or when Andy ends up coaching Owen with England.
You would think that only a truly insulting Christmas present could deny Owen a place among the elite now. Nevertheless, this was not the game around which he will be basing his case.
He missed three kicks at goal – all of them difficult – and was sent to the sin-bin for an unnecessary body check on the Ospreys fly-half Dan Biggar 10 minutes into the second half, an incident that coincided with the most significant of several shifts in momentum throughout the game. Then Farrell's attempted clearance kick was charged down, just after his fourth successful penalty had opened up an eight-point gap with seven minutes to go, and in the subsequent scramble Saracens conceded the late penalty that gave the Ospreys a crucial losing bonus point.
"I'm a bit disappointed," said Scott Johnson, the Ospreys' director of coaching, "but this competition being what it is, it's probably the best worst result we could have. We didn't do ourselves justice, but resolve got us a point, and that's a quality I like."
They may not feel they did themselves justice but the Ospreys played a full part in a five-try contest of fluctuating fortunes in which they recovered from 28‑16 down with 50 minutes gone and took that bonus point with a strong final half-hour.
The first quarter of an hour passed in a blur, Saracens emerging 17‑10 up after tries from Rhys Gill and Ernst Joubert sandwiched a reply from Ashley Beck. Saracens dominated the first 50 minutes, looking authoritative and ambitious, and Chris Wyles's excellent try at the end of that period seemed to have set them on course for a bonus-point win.
However, having just welcomed their captain, Tom Smith, back from the sin-bin, the Ospreys benefited from Farrell Jr's own stretch in the dog house, during which Beck scored his second try to move the visitors into bonus-point range themselves.
It leaves Pool Five poised tantalisingly, after Treviso's win over Biarritz earlier in the day. Saracens have the edge for now, three points clear of the others, but that could all change again after this weekend's instalments.
Saracens Goode; Strettle, Farrell, Barritt, Wyles; Hodgson (Short, 59), Spencer (Stringer, 59); Gill (Carstens, 74), Brits (George, 49), Stevens (Nieto, 65), Borthwick (capt), Botha (Kruis, 59), Brown, Burger (Saull, 65), Joubert.
Tries Gill, Joubert, Wyles Cons Farrell 2 Pens Farrell 4.
Ospreys Fussell; Bowe, Bishop, Beck, Williams; Biggar, Webb; D Jones (Bevington, 47), Hibbard (Bennett, 47), A Jones, R Jones, Thomas, Smith (capt; Gough, 53), Tipuric, Bearman (Stowers, 57).
Tries Beck 2 Cons Biggar 2 Pens Biggar 4.
Referee P Gaüzere (France). Attendance 41,063.
