"Will play England" – Owen Farrell's brother will qualify to play for Six Nations rival

10/06/2024 02:27 PM

The younger son of England captain Owen Farrell’s father, Andy Farrell, has the potential to qualify to represent Ireland in rugby, setting the stage for a possible match-up with his older sibling in the coming years.

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Andy Farrell, who assumed the role of head coach for Ireland in 2019, made the pivotal choice to relocate his family to Dublin.

This move was influenced by his marriage to Colleen O’Loughlin, the sister of his former Wigan teammate, Sean O’Loughlin. This union has resulted in a family of four children, including Owen and Gabriel.

In 2019, as a result of their move to Ireland, Andy’s younger son Gabriel may become eligible to play for the Irish national team through residency, if not through ancestry. The final decision on whether Gabriel will pursue a professional rugby career remains in the balance.

He said: “Everyone from the north-west of England is from Ireland anyway. You go from Liverpool straight across the east Lancs to Manchester and it's full of Irish. I've got [Dublin] ancestry that goes back three or four generations, and so has my wife.

"The big move for us, and anyone else from Wigan, is to move down south. That's the big move," he adds, smiling. "Coming to Ireland and living in Dublin is almost like going home for me. Just the people and family-type atmosphere."

Andy and Owen both played together for English Premiership team Saracens and there was big competition between them. 

"He says he never lets me win," said Owen. "But I always win anyway."

Andy, in 2020, proudly shared that Gabriel’s rugby development is progressing rapidly and that he is already surpassing the achievements of his older brother Owen at the same age.

Gabriel’s dedication to honing his goal-kicking skills indicates that he is on a promising path to becoming a talented young rugby player.

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10 Most Overrated Players in Rugby Ranked

Many high-profile players continue to polarize opinions in the rugby world—one player might be considered overrated by some but highly regarded by others, leading to endless debates.

Here is RUCK Editor Steve Smith’s attempt at ranking the top 10 most overrated players in the world right now.

10 Most Overrated Players in Rugby Ranked

10. Ange Capuozzo (Italy) – The young Italian fullback has gained a lot of attention for his electrifying play and highlight-reel moments, but some critics feel that his defensive frailties and occasional lack of consistency make him less of an all-around threat than the hype suggests.

9. Beauden Barrett (New Zealand) – Barrett is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world, but some believe his performances have been inconsistent, particularly at the Test level in recent years. They argue that while he excels in Super Rugby, his form for the All Blacks has fluctuated.

8. Maro Itoje (England) – While Itoje is seen as a world-class lock and one of England’s key players, there are critics who believe that his influence is sometimes overstated, especially when England is struggling as a team.

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