More than 10,000 rugby fans have hit Google to find out whether former England captain Owen Farrell could make a shock international switch and turn out for Ireland in the years ahead.
Watch the Guinness Six Nations at your local
Greene King sports pubThis speculation likely arises from his father, Andy Farrell, coaching in Ireland and Owen's original surname. To date, there have been thousands of searches asking 'is Owen Farrell Irish?' and other similar queries.
Andy Farrell has been married to his wife Colleen O’Loughlin since 1995.
The pair met as teenagers with the high school sweethearts have their first child Owen when Colleen has only just turned 17 years old.
As a result, Owen was not at first registered as a Farrell, but took mum Colleen’s family name of O’Loughlin, which some will know is a famous name in rugby league circles.
The couple married in 1995, changing Owen’s surname to Farrell the following year. They also have three other children, Elleshia, Gracie and Gabriel.
The surname O'Loughlin was first found in County Clare (Irish: An Clár) located on the west coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.
However, although Farrell certainly has plenty of Irish DNA, he wouldn't be able to play for Ireland as his Grandad Kieran O'Loughlin, who was a prominent rugby player in the 70's and 80's, was born in Wigan and not Ireland.
Under current rules, a player can change to a new country
once, provided they or their (grand)parents were born in the new country. A stand-down period of three years applies and a transfer is subject to approval by the World Rugby Regulations Committee.
So is Owen Farrell Irish? Yes. Can Owen Farrell play for Ireland? Probably not.
When asked recently if he'd ever consider swapping nations, Farrell bullishly responded 'absolutely not'.
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"2/10" - Six England players who flopped vs Scotland - who should replacement
Here are six England players who flopped at Murrayfield – and who should replace them.
Fraser Dingwall – Exposed in Midfield
Telegraph 3 | Rugby Pass 4
What they said
- Telegraph: “A match where his limitations were exposed opposite a Test Lion. England were cut apart too easily in the midfield.”
- Rugby Pass: “Like every outside England back, Dingwall was totally neutered by a rampant Scottish defence.”
- Planet Rugby: "So often seen as the key link player in this attack, but struggled to really shine with his side’s attack stifled. "
England’s midfield looked alarmingly porous, and Dingwall struggled badly against elite opposition. Defensive frailties and a lack of cutting edge in attack left England blunt in the 13 channel.
Replacement: Ollie Lawrence
Henry Arundell – Indiscipline Proves Costly
RUCK 2 | Express 2 | Telegraph 2 | Rugby Pass 2
What they said
- Rugby Pass: Yellow carded for not releasing after scrambling to prevent a try, with England conceding 14 points while he was off. Scored, but his second yellow – and red – for taking Kyle Steyn out in the air was hugely costly.
- Telegraph: “Test rugby can be brutal. Two moments of mistiming and two yellow cards which cost England the game.”
- Express: “Hat-trick hero last week, brainless red card villain this week.”
- RUCK: Two yellow cards in the opening 40 minutes is simply unacceptable at this level.
From hero to villain in seven days. Arundell’s finishing instinct remains sharp, but his discipline handed momentum – and ultimately the match – to Scotland.
Replacement: Ollie Hassell-Collins
Ellis Genge – One Error, Huge Consequences
RUCK 4
What they said
- RUCK: “Was solid at scrum time but it is hard to look past his mistake that led to Scotland’s third. Genge found himself facing his own try-line dealing with a Finn Russell kick through, but fumbled it and let Ben White in for an easy finish.”
The scrum held up reasonably well, but Test rugby is unforgiving. One handling error deep in his own 22 proved catastrophic.
Replacement: Bevan Rodd
Sam Underhill – Hooked at Half-Time
RUCK 5 | Express 5 | Telegraph 4 | Rugby Pass 4 | Planet Rugby 4
What they said
- Rugby Pass: Slipped off a tackle on his Bath Rugby team-mate Finn Russell, who kicked through for Scotland’s third try. Made just five tackles in 40 minutes before being replaced.
- Telegraph: “Uncharacteristically missed a host of tackles which summed up England’s disastrous defence.”
- RUCK: “Came off at half-time after a pretty unremarkable half.”
- Planet Rugby: "Has had better days in an England shirt and certainly will have better days moving forward."
Underhill is usually England’s defensive enforcer. On this occasion, he was uncharacteristically off the pace and paid the price.
Replacement: Tom Curry
Guy Pepper – Quiet in the Chaos
RUCK 5 | Express 5 | Telegraph 5 | Rugby Pass 5
What they said
- Rugby Pass: Three dominant tackles in 56 minutes but struggled to truly influence proceedings.
- Telegraph: Missed a crucial tackle on Finn Russell in the build-up to White’s try and conceded two penalties.
- Express: “Rising star was unusually quiet in the onslaught.”
- RUCK: “Tried and tried but to very little avail.”
- Planet Rugby: "Solid enough, but couldn’t quite have his usual effect on proceedings before being subbed off in the second-half."
A tough afternoon for the young back-rower, who couldn’t impose himself in a ferocious breakdown battle.
Replacement: Henry Pollock
Maro Itoje – Captain Lacked Impact
RUCK 4.5 | Express 5 | Telegraph 4 | Rugby Pass 5
What they said
- Rugby Pass: Left covering too much space for Scotland’s opener, spilled possession in a promising position and didn’t last an hour.
- Telegraph: “England needed more from their captain… Looked off the pace.”
- Express: Good effort before being surprisingly replaced on 56 minutes.
- RUCK: “Got massively outpaced on the wing for Scotland’s first try… Simply didn’t have the desired impact.”
England needed leadership and authority — instead they got a subdued display from their skipper.
Replacement: Alex Coles