The new year is only a few days old but for one high-profile rugby family nothing will ever be quite the same. While Andy Farrell does not commence work as Ireland's next defence coach until after this season's Six Nations championship, his short hop across the Irish Sea has potentially opened a huge can of paternal worms. To suggest his son Owen will have divided loyalties when England visit Dublin next year is surely an understatement.
There will certainly be plenty at Twickenham feeling uneasy about Farrell's abrupt move, a little over three weeks after the Rugby Football Union opted to dispense with his services. England, having bowed out of the World Cup in the pool stages, may have a new head coach in Eddie Jones but they had not bargained on so much intellectual property being snaffled so swiftly by one of their major Test rivals.
Farrell Sr will justifiably point out he needed to find employment somewhere after it became clear a return to his former club Saracens was not a runner. The atmosphere around the kitchen table in the buildup to next year’s Six Nations, however, will be extremely interesting. It does not require the literary mind of a Tolstoy or an Austen to imagine an ongoing family saga with all manner of fluctuating plotlines.
The professional sporting world is certainly not littered with fathers coaching people to knock the living daylights out of their own sons. If anyone should know how and where to target the England midfield it should be Farrell senior, who served as Stuart Lancaster’s assistant for four years. As a rugby league legend who played 34 times for Britain he also has impeccable credentials when it comes to hard-nosed professionalism, but his repeated insistence that he treats Owen like any other player is about to be put to the ultimate test.
At least the pair will not be thrown into instant battle when Ireland visit Twickenham at the end of next month, with Farrell's deal due to commence prior to Ireland's summer tour to South Africa. He is contracted, however, until after the 2019 World Cup, and will find himself bumping into familiar faces on a regular basis. With Shaun Edwards having also re-signed with the Welsh Rugby Union, two patriotic ex-Wigan rugby league men now have England firmly in their sights.
If nothing else the unexpected Irish coup, masterminded by the wily Joe Schmidt, increases the pressure on Jones to prove his own choice of lieutenants is even craftier. With Northampton’s Alex King confirming he has not been invited to join England’s coaching staff, Jones will now be in sole charge of the backline for the upcoming Six Nations. The RFU has also confirmed the incoming scrum coach, Ian Peel, who has been sub-contracted from Saracens for the tournament, has only been hired by England for one day per week and will not be present on match days.
This means England’s brains trust will consist merely of Jones and his newly recruited assistants Steve Borthwick and Paul Gustard. King, however, believes the Australian may yet have the last laugh. “I think he’ll be fantastic for English rugby, I think it’s going to be a breath of fresh air,” said King, more than a little embarrassed by the speculation sparked by his pre-Christmas meeting with Jones. “I’m excited to see the squad he picks going into the first game and I’m excited that English rugby is going to bounce back after the World Cup. As a passionate Englishman, that’s all I want.”
His conversations with Jones have also left him in no doubt the next few months will be lively. “Eddie’s an interesting guy. We chatted about loads of things and attack came up, how he wants to play the game. I think he is going to bring some fresh ideas. You saw what he did in Japan during the World Cup and the high-tempo game they played. I think that will be a similar style to how England play, but obviously playing to our strengths. I think it’ll be an exciting time for England in the Six Nations.”
It remains possible King will be asked to play some part in preparing the Saxons, who are set to tour South Africa this summer while the senior squad are in Australia, but nothing has yet been finalised. “He’s gone round the clubs, spoken to a lot of coaches, and for some reason people speculated and came up with a story,” sighed King, insisting no job was ever offered. “As far as I’m concerned, he’s going to run the attack and I move on to Leicester on Saturday.” Jones, for his part, is due to announce his first squad next Wednesday and King has lent his support to the national captaincy claims of the Saints’ hooker Dylan Hartley. “I have no doubt that Dylan will do a really good job if selected,” said King.
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