Gaffney: England must use Farrell more

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Farrell has been the target for criticism for his part in England's 36-0 defeat to South Africa after stepping into the midfield following injuries to Olly Barkley and Jonny Wilkinson.

"I think Faz has a lot more to offer," said Gaffney following his side's 29-19 opening Guinness Premiership victory over Wasps at Twickenham.

Gaffney mounted his defence of the former Great Britain rugby league captain by admitting: "Andy Farrell isn't going to run 10.2 seconds for the 100 metres but he brings a lot to the table and we have to take advantage of what he does best.

"He's got fantastic peripheral vision and he plays the game on the line. But, taking the ball to the line, he's got to have options open and that's one of the things that's not happening at the moment in the national team. He has no options.

"You've got to have support to the line and through the line and that's not happening which, I think, is very much detracting from what Andy is capable of doing."

Gaffney insisted that "by a long distance" Farrell was far from being England's worst player in Friday night's thrashing by South Africa.

"I only wish we could get the best out of Andy Farrell. He's so much to offer for the national team," said the Saracens chief before mounting a defence of the talent in the Premiership.

"People say there's not a lot of good players but I think that's bunkum. There are a lot of good players in the Premiership but it's about getting the most out of those players."