{"id":295083,"date":"2023-10-04T16:25:04","date_gmt":"2023-10-04T16:25:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/?p=295083"},"modified":"2023-10-04T16:25:04","modified_gmt":"2023-10-04T16:25:04","slug":"chris-foy-facing-theo-mcfarland-remains-a-scary-prospect-england","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/rugby-union\/chris-foy-facing-theo-mcfarland-remains-a-scary-prospect-england\/","title":{"rendered":"CHRIS FOY: Facing Theo McFarland remains a scary prospect England"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>CHRIS FOY: Samoa may already be out of the Rugby World Cup but facing Theo McFarland remains a scary prospect England&#8230; as Owen Farrell and Jamie George reveal what makes their Saracens teammate one of the best players in the world<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Theo McFarland has emerged as one of the best players in the world<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>England will face the Saracens star when they play Samoa on Saturday<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>McFarland almost missed the Rugby World Cup through injury\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Latest Rugby World Cup 2023 news, including fixtures, live scores and results<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Saracens players in the England squad know there is big trouble coming on Saturday, in the form of Theo McFarland, their Samoan club-mate who has rapidly become \u2018one of the best players in the world\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>Having feared that he would miss this World Cup after suffering a season-ending knee injury last December, the 27-year-old recovered in time to represent his Pacific-island nation in the global showpiece.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While successfully accelerating his rehab timetable, McFarland also enhanced his power and dexterity, in the gym and on the basketball court.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;After my surgery, I was told it could take nine to 12 months to recover,\u2019 he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I thought I would definitely miss out on the World Cup. But after three months, I had another appointment with the surgeon and he said I could get back earlier.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/04\/16\/76164871-0-image-a-1_1696432657904.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Saracens star Theo McFarland will face some of his club teammates when Samoa play England on Saturday night in their final Pool D fixture\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Our medical team at Saracens are really good and they helped me get back so quick. They kept saying they\u2019d never seen a faster healer!\u2019<\/p>\n<p>McFarland previously captained Samoa at basketball and dreamt of playing in America, until he was persuaded in 2019 to give rugby one last shot \u2013 by a national icon of the sport, Brian Lima.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But he still avidly watches NBA matches, as a fan of Memphis Grizzlies, and was encouraged to return to the court, to enhance his oval-ball skills and movement.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I was advised to stay out of contact until after six months, so I got to play a bit of basketball,\u2019 he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Phil Morrow (Saracens\u2019 former performance director, now general manager) told me that I couldn\u2019t play rugby yet but I could do everything else, so I might as well play some basketball, to help me with my reactions and get my sharpness back.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I mucked around, playing basketball with my physio. We were just shooting and getting my lateral movements going again. We were just playing in the park. It was good. I went home and played a bit of basketball in the off-season too. It really helped.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Asked if he is still as good as he once was, McFarland added: \u2018Not really! I can\u2019t dribble. The skills are not really there any more for basketball. I\u2019ve been in the gym a lot since switching to rugby. I can\u2019t do much basketball anymore because I\u2019ve put on a lot of weight.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018In the first three months, when I couldn\u2019t do much with my knee, I was doing upper-body weights three, four, five times a week. I was doing this programme called Big Cat, which is a programme to get your bench-press (weight) up.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/04\/16\/76164875-0-image-a-3_1696432716090.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>McFarland previously captained Samoa at basketball and dreamt of playing in America<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/04\/16\/76165471-0-image-a-4_1696432723573.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>He was convinced to give rugby another try by Samoa legend Brian Lima\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/04\/16\/76165407-0-image-a-2_1696432688993.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>McFarland\u00a0still avidly watches NBA matches, as a fan of the Memphis Grizzlies\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Before my injury, I could bench 125-130kg, but after doing the Big Cat for two months, I managed to get up to 160kg.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I\u2019m much stronger, especially in the breakdown area and in my carrying. When I got injured, I got to better myself with my skills as well. I was working hard on my lineout skills.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>The danger for England is that they are about to collide with a stronger and even more skilful McFarland Mk II \u2013 and the pre-injury version was already a stand-out sensation of the club game.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Having arrived at Saracens in the summer of 2021, he was soon taking the place by storm, despite having to learn as he went.<\/p>\n<p>In the Red Rose camp, those who know him well are in awe of his ability and his development.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Theo McFarland is right up there with the best players in the world, regardless of position,\u2019 said Saracens\u2019 veteran England hooker, Jamie George.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u2018He\u2019s one of the most natural rugby players I\u2019ve ever seen. You tell him to do one thing, he goes out and does it, and makes it look easy.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/04\/16\/76164961-0-image-a-5_1696432793583.jpg\" height=\"542\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>McFarland has made 34 appearances for Saracens since joining in 2021<\/p>\n<p>\u2018It won\u2019t be that nice for me on Saturday, but I\u2019ve been really proud of the performances he\u2019s been putting in, because he\u2019s come into the tournament off the back of a really big injury last season.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>He sky-rocketed to success then had a big setback, but he worked so hard to get back. On the biggest stage, he\u2019s showing everyone what he\u2019s about. He\u2019s back to his best and we\u2019re going to have to keep a big eye on him, because he\u2019s world-class.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Owen Farrell, captain for club and country, added: \u2018I didn\u2019t know much about him before he arrived (at Saracens). I heard people talking about him and I\u2019d seen some footage from games he had played in \u2013 and also some basketball games as well. I\u2019d seen him (slam) dunking!<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I knew we were getting an athlete. He\u2019s got a massive amount of ability in terms of his athleticism and his handling, but his attitude was up there with some of the best I\u2019ve seen. He made a big difference to us pretty quickly, so that\u2019s a credit to how good he is.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>The respect is certainly reciprocal, but McFarland also can\u2019t wait to get stuck in to the men he plays with at Saracens, who have done so much to aid his remarkable rise.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u2018When I went there, I didn\u2019t really have much knowledge about rugby,\u2019 he admitted.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/04\/16\/76164873-0-image-a-8_1696433060531.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>The powerful Samoan can bench up to 160kg after recovering from a serious injury<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/04\/16\/76165649-0-image-a-6_1696432973158.jpg\" height=\"404\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Saracens teammate Owen Farrell has been impressed with McFarland&#8217;s attitude<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/04\/16\/76165659-0-image-a-7_1696432980364.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Fellow Sarries star and England veteran Jamie George has described McFarland as one of the best players in the world right now<\/p>\n<p>\u2018They\u2019ve opened my eyes about the game. At Sarries, it\u2019s like a family. It\u2019s a great environment and everyone there cares about each other.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I\u2019m excited about going up against my mates. I am playing for Samoa, so this is my family now. I have to give my 100 per cent, which will show respect to my mates, who have helped me a lot.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Owen Farrell is a unique player. He brings the best out of everyone. Jamie George is the same and has helped me a lot with the lineout, which is a big part of my role.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>What McFarland and the whole Samoa team will bring into their encounter with England in Lille on Saturday is a collective sense of humility and honour. That spirit was forged during their pre-season campaign in the south Pacific.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u2018We managed to travel to the big island in Samoa, Savai\u2019i, to connect with our people there and our culture,\u2019 said McFarland.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u2018It was good.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/04\/16\/76166001-0-image-a-9_1696433367439.jpg\" height=\"411\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Samoa have already been knocked out of the World Cup after losing to Japan and Argentina<\/p>\n<p>\u2018We went to this village which is two hours from the main town. We stayed there for two nights. On the first night, we did a welcoming ceremony, which is a Samoan tradition. After that, in groups of twos and threes, we stayed with families in the village.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018We did the chores in their houses. It was a good experience \u2013 especially for the boys who aren\u2019t normally in Samoa and are from New Zealand and Australia. It was good for them to experience island life.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;We\u2019ve seen how much the Manu Samoa team means to the people. Their support and their prayers helps us. It gives us purpose.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Hopes of qualification have gone for Samoa, after narrow, single-digit defeats against both Argentina and Japan. But they are hell-bent on signing off well against England, and McFarland is ready to lead the charge, against so many familiar faces.<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sport\/rugbyunion\/article-12593939\/Chris-Foy-Theo-McFarland-Samoa-England-Rugby-World-Cup-Saracens.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>CHRIS FOY: Samoa may already be out of the Rugby World Cup but facing Theo McFarland remains a scary prospect <span class=\"more-text\">&hellip;<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":295082,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>CHRIS FOY: Facing Theo McFarland remains a scary prospect England - Sportstons<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/rugby-union\/chris-foy-facing-theo-mcfarland-remains-a-scary-prospect-england\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"CHRIS FOY: Facing Theo McFarland remains a scary prospect England - 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