McCall: Farrell and Wilko cut from same cloth

Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall believes Owen Farrell and Jonny Wilkinson share the same nerveless temperament.

The England fly-halves past and present look set meet for the first time at Twickenham on Sunday when Saracens wrestle with Toulon for a place in the Heineken Cup final.

“The comparison of their temperaments is fair. From a young age they were both very strong minded,” he said. “That’s particularly important during matches when things are getting a bit chaotic — you need someone who can see the wood for the trees and stay composed in the heat of battle.

“Both of them have that and both share the same dedication and work ethic. They’re two very good players.

“But Sunday is not really a battle between them, it’s about which team can give their fly-half time, space and front foot ball. It will be more about a team thing rather than an individual display.”

Saracens enter the match without openside Will Fraser, who has been sidelined with the shoulder injury sustained in last Saturday’s 28-23 defeat at Gloucester.