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Owen Farrell will make his first appearance since his decision to step away from Test rugby was announced when Saracens launch their Investec Champions Cup campaign on Saturday.<\/p>\n
England captain Farrell will be unavailable for the Six Nations later this season after choosing to take a break from the international game to prioritise his and his family\u2019s mental well-being.<\/p>\n
He then missed Saracens\u2019 Gallagher Premiership defeat against Northampton due to a knee problem.<\/p>\n
But Saracens rugby director Mark McCall has confirmed the 32-year-old fly-half will face leading South African challengers the Bulls in Pretoria.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s available and he is going to play this weekend,\u201d McCall said. \u201cHe has trained fully over the last two days.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has enjoyed being with his team-mates, and it is a great opportunity for us all to spend a bit of time together away from the British winter.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know how many European Cup games he has played \u2013 him and Alex Goode have probably played in more than anybody at the club.<\/p>\n
He is our captain, he is our leader, someone who is respected by everyone at the club<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is our captain, he is our leader, someone who is respected by everyone at the club. To have him on the field, of course, is an enormous benefit.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot just to have him on the field, but have him in the team-room, in the meetings\u2026 His contribution is so enormous and it is great to have him here with us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Three-time European champions Saracens have won the tournament more than any other English club, although they made a quarter-final exit last term to eventual winners La Rochelle.<\/p>\n
And they will tackle a Bulls side currently third in the United Rugby Championship, having won five out of seven league fixtures this season.<\/p>\n
McCall added: \u201cWe have been really impressed with what we have seen, especially in their last couple of home games. They are strong in all areas.<\/p>\n
\u201cGames don\u2019t get much tougher in round one than coming to the Bulls, especially with the run of form they are on, but it is a challenge which usually brings the best out of the group we have got.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had a good relationship with this competition for a very long period of time. It has felt really good on the training field from the moment we touched down here.\u201d<\/p>\n