Anyone who thinks England coach Andy Robinson has reacted to a few defeats early in his reign with a panic move for one of rugby league's prized assets should think again.
Robinson's admiration for the 13-a-side code, and Andy Farrell, stretches back much further than the six months he has been at the helm.
About nine years in fact.
It stems from the second of two cross-code challenge matches in 1996 between then English champions Bath, for whom Robinson was still starring, and Wigan, then undisputed kings of the league landscape.
In the first match - played by league rules - Wigan thrashed Bath 82-6. "We battered them," Farrell recalls.
In the second, played by union rules at Twickenham, Wigan's confusion over the rules of rucking and mauling led to the balance being redressed sightly, as Bath won 44-19.
 Wigan played some superb rugby |
"We should have won the union game as well," Farrell added.
"We made the mistake of training with Orrell for a few weeks beforehand and tried to play Bath at rugby union.
"At half-time we decided to kick the union thing into touch and throw the ball around a bit, which tended to work in the second half."
At the end of that match, Farrell swapped shirts with none other than Robinson, the man who nine years later has persuaded him to ditch the sport into which he has put his "heart and soul" for the past 14 years.
Robinson was positively drooling as he recalled the occasion which convinced him of what league had to offer.
"They cut us apart, they scored three magnificent tries," he recounted. "Their support play, their running angles, their enthusiasm...the way they played the game.
"That game really affected me. As soon as I got involved as head coach, this was one of my priorities.
"Since our first meeting I have been so impressed by Andy's attitude. I think it is going to be a win-win situation for everybody involved."
Robinson spoke animatedly about how he believes Farrell can "revolutionise" the way rugby union is played.
For the England coach, it is not so much what union can do for Farrell, but what Farrell can bring to the 15-man game.
"The key is to let Andy enjoy union and get him used to the game," Robinson explained.
"From that he will grow and I am sure he will add things to union that we haven't seen before.
"The thing about bringing great players from other sports is they challenge the coaches and the team to play in different ways.
"I am hoping that it is not just Andy learning about union but that he is bringing new things to our game."
 |  I am prepared to put in as much time as it takes to be successful |
If all this seems a heavy burden to place on a player who has yet to play a serious game of union, Farrell does not appear the type to shirk such weighty responsibility.
He is his own man, and did not feel the need to consult with other cross-code converts such as Jason Robinson - by far the most successful - or Henry Paul, who has endured more trying times, before making his decision.
"I don't need to be told what is right or wrong," he said. "I know deep down that this is right for me."
Farrell has plenty to lose as well as gain from leaving league, but, just as Robinson worked diligently to make the transition a swift one, he appears intent on giving it his all.
"How successful I am going to be at this game is down to how much time I put in," he added.
"And I am prepared to put in as much time as it takes to be successful."
Farrell has not made the switch just to become a run-of-the-mill Premiership player; an
England shirt is what he craves.
And if first impressions are anything to go by, he will be wearing one sooner rather than later.
MMIX
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