Andy Farrell stepped right into his Aviva Stadium media instruction filled with the pleasures of springtime after his Ireland group had actually beat France 32-19 in a Guinness Six Nations timeless. A mad fifty percent, which finished with the house side 22-16 in advance after thrill-a-minute exchanges, paved the way to a much cagier 2nd fifty percent where ratings went to a costs till a 72nd-minute Garry Ringrose attempt made a decision the result.
Ireland inevitably outdoed the French on a four-one shot matter, limiting the site visitors to simply 3 factors in the whole 2nd fifty percent, yet the majestically enjoyable very first fifty percent was obstructed with assaulting activity, consisting of a tactic that left the Irish trainer rather shocked.
“It was a little bit surprising how they [France] went about their game in the first half, to be honest, as far as how much ball they played in and around halfway,” he discussed with the dirt having actually picked a vivid mid-day at Lansdowne Road that finished with Ireland on 10 factors on the Six Nations table, in advance of 2nd location Scotland on factors distinction.
“They are normally very pragmatic as far as that is concerned. I don’t if that is anything to do with it [alleged French sloppiness] but wow, when you say they’re sloppy, I don’t necessarily agree with that term. You are always five seconds from someone doing something remarkable.
“As far as (Antoine) Dupont and the two wingers are concerned, I don’t know if anyone tackled them throughout the full 80 minutes, to be honest. Even I was exhausted – and I didn’t play the game. It was a top-end Test match. It was what everyone wanted and everyone got that. We are fortunate to come out on the right side of the scoreboard.”
The triumph was Ireland’s 19th in 21 suits because they shed to France in rounded 2 of the 2021 champion, validating their No1 globe rating while doing so. What most satisfied Farrell regarding his group in finishing the job? “The character more than anything,” he excited. “If we are talking about the bigger picture stuff, the fight, the want to cover each other’s back, to show the togetherness and the spirit that we know we have got.
“To show it to everyone else in world rugby, it was there to be seen. We could talk for hours in that regard of instances and people not playing too much rugby and coming back and putting in performances like that when the chips are really down in big games, it shows a lot of character.
“The first half was wow, just end to end to stuff. We all hoped it would be like that and it certainly was end to end. Even though I thought field position-wise we controlled it pretty well in the end, it’s not over until it’s over, probably until the 78th minute or something like that when you’re thinking we have won a titanic game in that respect.
“Unbelievably proud of the lads, what they have been through the last three weeks. They dug in hard. It meant a lot to them today and they certainly showed that.”
Ireland had their team deepness examined by the demand for their bench to bring the win house and also it left Farrell remembering a discussion he had with captain Johnny Sexton in Portugal when they were planning for last weekend break’s round one gainWales “I remember Johnny in Portugal, we got up to speed after a week and we had a training session, 15-on-15.
“The team was already picked and he got the lads in after the session and said, ‘You wouldn’t know which is the first team, the Irish team that is playing at the weekend’. That is where we are at, so therefore the belief is real and you actually get to a point where you are pleased that people are able to get an opportunity to see whether they can take it or not.
“That is the stage we are at, we’re trying to find out about each other. So in that regard, there are a few injuries and a few people pulled out. But at the same time look at the strength of the bench coming on today. It’s a mark of where we are as a group.”
