It was not quite a case of ‘Owen who?’ but life after Farrell began as smoothly as Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall could have hoped with a bonus-point win away to Gloucester.

There was a brief moment in his illustrious career when Jonathan Davies, the former Wales and Lions centre, appeared to be more widely known as the player who was not Brian O’Driscoll. The decision by Warren Gatland to drop O’Driscoll for the third Test against Australia on the 2013 tour thrust the then 25-year-old Davies,

No star fly-half but a pair of eye-catching newcomers - the Premiership giants are in a strong position after Farrell's departure

Saracens silenced some of their critics with a solid 35-26 win over Gloucester at Kingsholm, beginning the post-Owen Farrell era in the best way possible.

Winger Rotimi Segun opened the scoring for Saracens with a well-taken try Gallagher Premiership Gloucester (7) 26 Tries: Thomas, Clarke, Clement, Clarke Cons: Barton (3) Saracens (17) 35 Tries: Segun,