Siya Kolisi has jumped to the defence of “misunderstood” Owen Farrell while admitting that he hopes the England flyhalf becomes his teammate at French club Racing 92.
Farrell is reportedly on the brink of joining Top 14 leaders, signaling a possible end to his illustrious Test career. With his Sarries contract expiring in June, the 32-year-old’s speculated three-year deal would make him ineligible for international duty, having opted for a break from England duties in November.
Should Farrell decide to sign for Racing, it would see him play on the same side as Kolisi for the first time in their careers. The two captain their respective nations to the 2019 World Cup final and went head-to-head again in the 2023 World Cup semi-finals, with Kolisi’s Springboks coming out on top in both matches.
However, speaking on the Big Jim Show with former Scotland lock Jim Hamilton, Kolisi revealed that he has nothing but admiration for Farrell and hopes to call the playmaker a teammate soon.
“I hope he f***ing comes. I hope he does,” Kolisi told Hamilton.
“I love Owen; I really like him. I speak to him every now and then. I don’t understand why people don’t like him; I just think he’s f***ing competitive, which is what you want.
“It’d be great for us if he could come. He’s really a good leader, I think he’s very competitive and he’s just misunderstood,” Kolisi added.
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images