Owen Farrell set for first Saracens appearance since shock decision to step down from England duty… with fly-half primed for daunting clash against the Bulls in South Africa

Owen Farrell returns to the Saracens side on Saturday for his first appearance since his club revealed the England captain had decided to step down from Test duty.

The 32-year-old fly-half will not feature in the Six Nations – and may never represent his country again – after choosing to prioritize 'his and his family's mental wellbeing'.

However, he will continue to play for the Premier League champions and after missing last weekend's home defeat to Northampton due to a minor injury, Farrell is ready for a comeback at high altitude on the other side of the equator.

Saracens will have their skipper back for the Champions Cup opener against the South African Bulls at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.

“Owen is available and he will play this weekend,” director of rugby Mark McCall said. “He has been training hard for the past two days.”

Owen Farrell was set to make his first appearance since deciding to quit Test rugby

Asked whether he thought Farrell would benefit from his England decision being made and published so he could concentrate solely on club rugby, McCall added: 'That's a very simplistic way of looking at this. I wouldn't dare assume anything. I find it a little uncomfortable to talk too much about something that is very private, so I prefer not to say too much.”

The fact that Farrell is back is a boost for Saracens as they brace for a tough assignment against Bulls, who sit third in the United Rugby Championship and are armed with several World Cup-winning Springboks.

“Owen has played in a lot of big games for the club, in Europe,” McCall said. “He is our captain and he is respected by everyone at our club; staff and players.'

Meanwhile, Sale expect Manu Tuilagi to be available for their home match against Stade Francais on Sunday as the England center has recovered from the broken hand he suffered in the closing stages of the World Cup.

“Manu is eligible for selection,” Sharks director of rugby Alex Sanderson said. Tuilagi is set to make his first appearance of the club season.

Premier League leaders Sale have opened talks with their Anglo-Samoan veteran midfield over a deal for another season beyond this season.

Sanderson explained that he is keen to retain Tuilagi's services – and is appealing to his taste buds as part of the quest to reach an agreement.

'When he came back from the World Cup, I said: 'How are you feeling? Do you think you have another year?,” he said.

Saracens boss Mark McCall confirmed Farrell is ready for the Champions Cup opener

'Manu said, “Well, I'm going back out into the field and we're going to have another steak.” So we talk about it over a glass of wine.

'I have a deal with the wingers about hat-tricks and I made a similar deal with Manu today, with bottles of wine (as a prize). I don't know if this is the right way to go about it, but it certainly motivates him! It's about big hits and giving energy. If he can top George Ford, I'm going to buy him a nice bottle of red this weekend.

“He's more energetic and enthusiastic than most of the 19- and 20-year-olds we have here. His desire to play in this Champions Cup – on the heels of the World Cup – is actually astonishing, because it is always the drive that comes first.

'He loves it. He likes to play, he likes to be outside – and he probably likes to get away from home for a while because he has a newborn, so he gets some rest! He's bouncing around today; back slapping, high fiving and just looking like a man ten years younger than he actually is.”