England cannot afford to leave Owen Farrell out of their starting XV at this year’s World Cup according to Saracens and former England coach Alex Sanderson.

Farrell has seen himself usurped in the fly-half pecking order this season by Bath’s George Ford and the latter pulled the strings in fine style in this year’s Six Nations as England began to unlock their full attacking potential.

In fairness to Farrell, the Saracen missed the Six Nations with injury but Stuart Lancaster had already placed his faith in Ford during the autumn after the 23-year-old struggled in defeats to New Zealand and South Africa.

But Farrell returned from his knee injury at the back end of last season to lead Saracens to the Premiership title, a comprehensive 28-16 final victory crowning his comeback.

While Ford’s attacking talents are not in question, it was the stellar game management of Farrell that stood out as he overwhelmed his rival – and childhood friend – at Twickenham in May.

And it is that big-match temperament that separates Farrell from the crowd according to Sanderson.

“Look at how Owen Farrell commanded that final,” said Sanderson – who went to Argentina as part of England’s coaching staff in the summer of 2013.

“There was a lot of talk leading up to the game about George Ford and what a great attacking threat he is and the rest of it.

“But international rugby requires game management and in that regard Owen Farrell is second to none in my opinion.

“He managed that final so well, he made sure that we played in the right areas.”

One option is to keep Ford and fly-half and slot Farrell in at England’s troublesome position of inside centre, a combination that worked superbly when the duo burst onto the scene for the England Under-20s.

But Sanderson has his eyes on Brad Barritt for the No.12 shirt, insisting we have not seen the best of the Saracens centre this season so far.

However if England are going to lift the World Cup on home soil later this year then it will start with the battle up front.

And in the front-row Joe Marler appears to be first in line for the England loosehead spot so coveted by Mako Vunipola.

As forwards coach at Saracens, Sanderson has seen first-hand the improvements made by Vunipola this season, particularly in the scrummaging department that has often been considered the 24-year-old’s Achilles heel. The prop had a chastening time of it Down Under during the British & Irish Lions series win in 2013 but Sanderson is adamant those problems are a thing of the past. “I would like to go for Mako now that he is free from injury to get ahead of Marler for that England No.1 shirt,” he added.

“They are both good players but Mako was absolutely massive for us, we barely rotated him after he missed the start of the season.

“We played him every game and he was just massive.

“Scrummaging is what he has been criticised for in the past but he this season he just smashed everyone that he came up against.

“And when he is doing that, plus everything he gives you around the park, he is like an extra back rower in the tackle and with ball in hand.”

Alongside Vunipola in the front row hooker Jamie George could be in with a shout of making Stuart Lancaster’s 31-man squad, particularly considering Dylan Hartley’s suspension.

“I was as made up by winning the Premiership as I was for Jamie George getting into the England squad,” added Sanderson.

“I have coached that guy since he was seven years old; I know his parents and everything else.

“That is the position as coach; you want development of your players.

“Watching these guys go away there is a massive sense of pride.

“I would love Jamie to stay in the squad, he has got some good competition there I know but it would be great for him to get there.”

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