Owen Farrell
Owen Farrell has been in superb form throughout the Six Nations,. Reuters

England coach Stuart Lancaster has heaped praise on the performances of Owen Farrell as the young fly-half returns to action for the Six Nations decider against Wales on Saturday at the Millennium Stadium.

Farrell missed the win against Italy with a thigh strain but has been immediately restored to the starting line-up against Wales as England seek to clinch a 13<sup>th Grand Slam and their first since 2003.

The 21-year-old has been one of the most consistent performers in an England shirt and Lancaster believes he has the perfect temperament for what will be a physically demanding game against a determined Welsh side.

"He has what very few young players have particularly in the fly half position - that big game temperament and the ability to rise to the occasion," Lancaster told espnscrum.com.

"He doesn't seem fazed by an occasion. Indeed the bigger the occasion, the more he seems to step up. He has been outstanding in terms of providing leadership and direction to the team. The execution of his core skills - goal-kicking, line-kicking, his passing ability, his strong defence - has been excellent."

It is one of the biggest games of Farrell's fledgling career and he has previously shown signs of frustration, particularly against France when he clashed with a number of players after missing a penalty.

However, he has played down any suggestion that he is hot-headed and instead made it clear that he would simply be focusing on the task at hand.

"I need to concentrate on my job and if I don't I will get found out. Everybody tries to get to the half-backs. I will just concentrate on my job," said Farrell.

"The thing is with being a 10, you have to be one step ahead. When we are in defence you have to bring energy, talk a lot, get people off the line and get stuck in - but when it comes to attack you have to be one step ahead. That's all what I'm concentrating on at the weekend.

"I think the bigger the game is, the more you've got to concentrate and focus on your job. You can't get lost in the occasion. A lot of players talk about big games and they go quickly because you're that lost in the game and caught up in what is happening on the field, not what's happening around it.

"You're focusing on what is in front of you. That's tough, but it's what international rugby is all about. People will be walking off this pitch mentally drained at the weekend. Anybody who plays in the Six Nations wants to win a Grand Slam and wants to play on the big stages and to be involved in the biggest games."

England have excelled since Chris Robshaw was made captain and there appears a real camaraderie amongst the players; something that Farrell feels is mightily important in order to be successful.

"I feel like the more we are together and the more people talk, the tighter we get. We are a really tight-knit group and we really work hard for each other. Everybody pushes each other in a good way. It is a brilliant place to be because that," added Farrell.

"That shows in games - the last 10 minutes against Italy when we were defending on our line and in our own 22, the boys were outstanding. That's what we will take into this game."