Father and son are tied at two apiece in previous Six Nations encounters, though this is the first time Andy will be facing Owen and
England as Ireland’s head coachIt has been four years since the Farrells first squared off against each other. Andy took over as Ireland’s defence coach in 2016 and ever since, whenever the Six Nations rolls around, he has had to drill his team in how to best stop England’s current captain, and playmaker, his son Owen. So far they are even-stevens, with two wins each, but this year it is a little different, that much sharper, because Andy has taken over as Ireland’s head coach. It is a game of father-son ping-pong, played out in front of a crowd of tens of thousands, a family ding-dong on live TV, a relationship, a rivalry, unlike any other in sport.
And before Andy’s
Ireland face Owen’s England at Twickenham next Sunday, they are not talking about it.