Owen Farrell ensures Saracens make it a flat start to Newcastle’s new Red Bull era

<ul><li><p>Newcastle 17-39 Saracens</p></li><li><p>Farrell kicks 12 points on his second Saracens debut</p></li></ul><p>The Red Bull era is up and running but Saracens have come to relish the role of party-poopers over the years and duly proceeded to burst Newcastle’s bubble. Owen Farrell was rarely far from the action on his second Saracens debut – 17 years after his first – and though Nathan Michelow was shown the Prem’s first 20-minute red card for the visitors, this was an illustration of the length of the road ahead for the Red Bulls.</p><p>Newcastle are not the first side to struggle to escape Saracens’ stranglehold and there were certainly some bright moments. The No 8 Amanaki Mafi was the pick of the summer signings, while Kingston Park has rarely been as vibrant as this in recent years and the manner in which a first sellout crowd in seven years celebrated Freddie Clarke’s try, with the game already up, felt telling. Truth be told, however, this was more reality check than revolution.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/sep/26/owen-farrell-ensures-saracens-make-it-a-flat-start-to-newcastles-new-red-bull-era">Continue reading...</a>