Farrell has previous with poor tackling and can have no excuse if he misses the start of the World Cup
This is a victory that almost certainly will come at a terrible cost for England.
For all the chest-beating defiance of Steve Borthwick’s side, with a late try by Maro Itoje and penalty by George Ford snatching an unlikely victory, it was the sight of Owen Farrell walking disconsolately back to the changing room after his yellow card was upgraded to a red card in the 70th minute that will be the abiding memory of this utterly chaotic contest.
Borthwick had already lost his scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet during the first half to an ankle injury, prompting an anxious wait for a scan to determine the extent of the problem.
It will be a disciplinary hearing this week that will determine Farrell’s fate and the first instinct suggests the England captain will do well to avoid a lengthy ban and is all but certain at least to miss the start of the World Cup and England’s most important pool match, the opener against Argentina on Sept 9.