Saracens upbeat over Farrell fitness
London (AFP) - Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall tried to allay concerns over the fitness of Owen Farrell after the England outside-half missed Saturday's 40-19 Premiership win over Sale with a thigh strain.
Fears had been raised over Farrell's availability for 2015 World Cup hosts England's November internationals at home to New Zealand, South Africa, Samoa and Australia after he suffered the injury in last weekend's 36-32 victory against London Irish.
Farrell also missed the last Test of the June series against world champions New Zealand because of a knee problem and returned to the treatment room having started just one match of the new European season.
However, McCall, speaking after Saracens' comprehensive defeat of Sale -- a result that left last season's losing Premiership finalists with the only perfect played four won four record in this term's English top flight -- said: "We don't expect Owen to be out for long, we're looking at it on a week by week basis.
"It's a very minor strain and we're looking at a couple of weeks, maximum."
Bath, fresh from their spectacular 45-0 thrashing of Leicester last weekend, saw their unbeaten start to the Premiership end with a 31-24 loss away to champions Northampton.
After the match, Northampton boss Jim Mallinder also found himself playing down injury concerns regarding the Saints' trio of England forwards in Tom Wood, Courtney Lawes and Alex Corbisiero.
Neither flanker Wood nor lock Lawes started the match while injury-plagued prop Corbisiero went off during the second half at Franklin's Gardens.
"Alex took a bang to his shoulder. I don't think it is anything worse than that," Mallinder said.
"Tom has got a bit of a sore back and Courtney a sore shoulder," he added. "They are improving and hopefully with an extra week they will be fit to play down at London Irish next Saturday."
Northampton came through a gruelling match, scoring an early penalty try before Calum Clark crossed Bath's line.
- Tigers boss mauls referee -
Second-half tries from lock Christian Day and centre George Pisi helped secure the bonus points, with Saints fly-half Stephen Myler landing all four conversions and kicking a penalty too.
Bath pushed Northampton hard, though, thanks to tries by prop David Wilson, wing Olly Woodburn and replacement foward Nick Auterac, with England fly-half George Ford kicking a penalty and three conversions.
Meanwhile Leicester boss Richard Cockerill risked disciplinary action by slamming referee Greg Garner after the injury-hit Tigers, with nearly half their first-choice team sidelined, suffered back-to-back defeats with a 22-19 loss at home to London Irish.
Cockerill was at a loss to understand how Leicester No 8 Jordan Crane was sent to the sin-bin for barging into a ruck while Exiles flanker Blair received nothing more than a talking-to after appearing to punch Jamie Gibson in the face.
"If a punch in the face is a penalty and a ticking off -- I thought it was an automatic red card - and a player who drops his shoulder into someone lying on the wrong side gets a yellow card...
"I didn't think the referee had a good performance," Cockerill said. "Clearly, Greg Garner thinks it's all right to punch someone in the face and it's a penalty.
"I don't want any sympathy, I just want referees to referee properly," the former England hooker added.
"The Jordan Crane decision was pretty off the scale!"
Shane Geraghty kicked a penalty following Crane's yellow-card that saw London Irish win at Welford Road for the first time in 11 years.
"The result is great, but we are not crowing because we realise the Tigers are wounded," said London Irish boss Brian Smith, the former Australia and Ireland fly-half.
