By Dave Woods

Farrell will win his first England rugby union cap on Saturday

Can a true rugby league fan finally support England's rugby union side?

Most supporters of the 13-a-side code will tell you that the fingers of patriotism tug at the heartstrings on most occasions involving British sport.

But when it comes to watching 15 men liveried in their lilywhites it's a tough ask to cheer them on.

For so many historic, cultural and social reasons - some real, some imagined, some exaggerated - your dyed-in-the-wool league fan will at best ignore the efforts of the England rugby union side, and more commonly, hope for their miserable failure.

There is though, I sense, a new curiosity about the goings on at Twickenham.

And though they might not admit to it, I think many more league fans than ever before will tune into to see how the Rah-Rahs rate in their game with Scotland this weekend.

There is a strong league flavour to union generally these days.

Scott Quinnell, a Welsh union legend, was the guest of honour at the recent Super League launch, where he waxed lyrical about the qualities of league.

Faz is good, but he's not good enough to make generations of league fans forget all the reasons why they really don't like English rugby union Dave Woods

Brian Ashton, a Wiganer, has proudly admitted to his love for league, men like Mike Ford and Shaun Edwards have been given a chance to show off their coaching credentials at a level never allowed to them in their own code, and Jason Robinson is back in the national set-up.

But it is Andy Farrell's presence in the England rugby union team that provokes the biggest contradiction of emotions amongst rugby league fans.

More than any other player who has crossed sport's great divide, he embodies the spirit of rugby league.

He was THE driving personality of so many great Wigan sides and an inspirational captain for his country's 13-a-side team, too.

League legend Robinson made a successful switch to union

He wasn't the showman, the razzmatazz artist who was always likely to follow the dollar.

He was a rock of integrity, the solid block of granite who can be believed when he says he switched sports for the challenge, not the money.

So, out of respect for all that he gave to league, most devotees of the game will be hoping that he thrives and prospers in union.

As a side issue, it's an insult to "Faz" that he will be judged as a "rugby player" depending on how well he performs in an England rugby union shirt.

He has proved himself as a great "rugby player" in so many tough arenas in league that it renders ignorant and uninformed the observations and criticisms of a mainly union-biased media if they elevate or dismiss him on the basis of what comes next.

But is a Farrell in the centres and Robinson behind him enough to make most league fans cast off their ritual ambivalence for the Six Nations, and join in the singing of "Swing low, sweet chariot"?

I suspect not. I reckon the most common reaction you'll get is: "We hope Faz has a stormer in a beaten side."

Faz is good, but he's not good enough to make generations of league fans forget all the reasons why they really don't like English rugby union.

But at least we will be watching.