Jordan Belinda Mantan was an A* student all the way through school and is now working as a team leader in mechanical engineering for a global engineering company and is only 23.
In her spare time she takes photos and one day she is asked by Cantabu...
"Come on England!!!" Elle screams at the top of her lungs sat pitchside watching England play in the final minutes of the the last international match this year. God she is so happy to be here and just take in the atmosphere. Not going to lie seeing Owen in this atmosphere makes me wonder sometimes that will this be my life, here, at twickenham, sat pitch side wanting a good game of rugby but also just wanting him to come home to me safely, which to me has never been what rugby is about till I met him.
All 6 foot and 2 inches, 14 stone and 11 pounds of him.
He made it about the after not just about the now.
The clock said 79:38 and the score was
🌹England 31 - 31 Ireland🍀
We were neck and neck, Owen had just got hold of the ball butwas still 10 yards from the try lie with Conor Murray just making contact with his waist.
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They both hit the ground with force. Murray roled off of Owen but Owen didn't seem to move yet. They were both still on the ground but only one of the two involved in the collision seemed to be able to move. Waiting for Owen to just move seemed to go by in slow motion, as though it was taking a thousand years for him just to breath as from where we were sitting it didn't exactly look like he was.
After watching the ref as well as a couple of the lads move to his side he seemed to move and gain his strength inorder to hold himself upright. There seemed to be a lot of huddling going on and I didn't even notice I was holding my breath until my daughter started tugging on my arm to make sure I was ok but to be honest I wasn't until this game I hadn't really had to look and watch Owen get hurt, luckily this wasn't anything serious but it could have been. It could have been so much more dangerous that this.
Owen stumbles to his feet and the ref allows one more play to motion but all I'm thinking about is Owen not even following the ball as it goes through the posts in a spectacular drop goal by Farrell himself winning us the game. Him being able to take it all home with a drop goal should indicate to me I don't need to worry but actually I do. I realise that now. I'm a rugby wife. Not just a girl he's dating but a girl who stands pitchside with her daughter watching her man as he celebrates his victory, who already knows is going back to the hotel bar with all the other kids and partners of both teams as well as the coaches and their families.....my thoughts trail off as I realises who we're playing and who Ireland's head coach is.....
No other than my boyfriend's, of now 7 months, father...who's with his wife....and his brother....oh my gosh what am I actually going to do. I don't know if I'm ready to meet them to do this whole thing. I mean he's met my Dad and family but that was only by pure accident. He did warn me about this but played it off so it wasn't a big deal but it is. It is a big deal. I love him and I need this to go right.
The final whistle sounded and it was offical. We'd won. Everyone was running round celebrating I hadn't even seen my nearly 7 year old daughter darting over the fence and running to her as she calls 'Daz', they both seemed to come up with this one night a few weeks agao as Owen Farrell has been the closest thing she has ever had to a father and he knows this so she doesn't want to call him Dad so they found a way to mix Faz and Dad and came up with Daz.
Owen encases Elle in a bear hug whilst all the other players did the same to their kids. I watch my daugter and my boyfriend twirling with joy and gratefulness as we had just won due to his spectacular drop goal. I leave them both to they're socialising and stand pitch side waiting for my big hunk of a rugby player to realise I'm meant to be his princess not my daughter. I laugh to myself at the thought of potentially coming in second to my daughter as usual, I guess I'll just have to settle for being his queen.
My pair of giggellers make they're way over to me. Before they make it to me (being as they were almost pitch center) my phone buzzes.....I pull it from my pocket to check who it is....
Wasp Man(Dadda) 💛🖤🏉😘: Tell R Faz, Brill drop goal. Well done to the rest of the lads. Hope u have a fab time sweetpea! see u nxt wkend xxxx
I smile thinking how my family now see Owen as one of us no matter how different he can be and it does show sometimes when he talks or his manourisms, nothing bad just different. I grew up with a single Dad raising two kids and working full time while Owen had a professional rugby player as a Dad with a Mum, who was alive for a start and all the opportunities I could of only dreamt of, I don't know I guess I'm just hella nervous to meet them considering the differences both Owen and I see on a daily basis.
I pull myself from my thoughts and see Owen and Elle are less than a meter away now. Owen puts her down and comes stright to me encasing me in a hug as well as pulling/carrying me over the safety railing. I nuzzle my face into the sweaty crease of his neck while he kisses the back of my head. I start to lift up my face as I begin to see most of the lads leaving they're wives/partners/girlfriends to head back into the changing room to clean up. "So BabyGirl, how'd I do? Still good enough to be your boyfriend? Or am I kicked to the kirb?" Owen smiles at me awaiting my response and I just look at him in pure bliss not even knowing if my daughter is still with us (i know i know badparenting really but how far could she get honestly, it's a metal container for 82,000 people riddled with top end security) I kiss him gently with grace and love, the complete oposite of my usual personality. "Well maybe I'll keep you round a little longer. Free childcare" I reply as sassy as always while continuing to smile ear to ear.
"Farrell, come on! Move that sexy ass!" I laugh as I see Jamie George presenting his bottom to us wiggling it. I laugh at him like everyone else he soon starts to saunter off towards the tunnel following a few of the other lads after kissing who believe to be his partner on the forehead. She sees us and starts to lighly float towards us. "Owen, hun. You go get yourself cleaned up and I'll take care of this Gem you've been hiding away from us all" she smiles at me with these dazzling white teeth, they shine in the light as though they had been made from pearls. "I'm Kate by the way. Short for Kathrine. I know you are Jordan as Owen does not stop talking about you from what I hear, 7 months! Oh My Gosh! When's the wedding?" I stand there bewildered looking back at her as she awaits eagerly for my answer. "Well Katie, I could as you and Jinxy the same thing. Not like its been over half a decade or something....oh wait" Owen jumps into my rescue and winks at me. Elle has wondered back over to me at this point and has grabbed my hand. "Owen. Dear. I love you as though you were my own blood. However, stop calling me Katie or there will be blood visible" Kate smiles sweetly as though she had not just threated this man at least a foot taller than her and most likely 8 stone heavier.
"Hi Kate, it's lovely to meet you" I smile acting as though that last interaction had not just taken place. I begin to turn my head down towards Elle about to introduce her "and this is...." "This is Elle. The most adorable yet smartest young lady who seems to have made Mr Farrell here turn into a right old man." Kate finished my sentance holding out her hand for Elle to shake, she smiled at my daughter as she was holding my leg making it sway from side to side and then took Kate's hand to shake. After the interaction Kate stands up straighter and decides to unbutton her extreamly expensive looking black suede coat to reveale a white england jersey as well as a tiny little baby bumb which is just starting to pop. I glance quickly at her then back up to Owen as he starts talking.
"Okay, Kate look after my princess... oh and Jord" Owen jokes but it warms my heart knowing not only I have him but so does Elle. he looks to me "You gonna be ok till I finish up all the rugby stuff" I nod and smile. He plants one last kiss on my head and takes a knee to do the same for Elle while for Kate it's just a side hug. He begins to walk off with a couple others but before I get to see who Kate links arms with me and we begin to walk back towards one of the exits in order to get back to one of the function rooms where they put on a little thing for all the families of players and some coaches.
Kate and I start to mindlessly make chit chat as we walk off the pitch with Elle running ahead.
