Owen Farrell - Player of the Year 2016/17
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On Saturday, Owen Farrell was crowned European Player of the Year and it's hard to disagree. Here's some of the reasons why we believe he's POTY and how he is set to give NZ some headaches.
Kicking ability
His consistency from the boot has been second to none this season and it's hard to disrepute claims that he is the top kicker in the Northern Hemisphere. 78% kicking rate in all competitions is not a bad rate!
Attacking threat
Over the last few years Farrell has changed his attacking mindset and as he's matured it's become a pleasure to watch. His ability to put players into space and always find the perfect pass/kick is seriously up there in World Rugby
Ability to play 12
For some players being a versatile player can be seen as a bad thing but in the case for Farrell it's a good thing for whatever team he's in. For Saracens and England his role as a secondary playmaker suits perfectly.
Key to the Lions in NZ
It's quite hard to imagine the Lions taking on the All Blacks without Owen Farrell in the starting XV, wether that's at 10 or 12. With chances going to be scarce against a strong NZ side, any chance the Lions have on getting on the scoreboard, Farrell is one of the players you'd want to take a shot at goal. Also his ability to put players into space is quite special and against a well drilled NZ defence, it could be a great tool for Gatland. Some huge decisions for Gatland to make in the summer on his starting team but he has to make room for the European Player of the Year somehow.