IRELAND BOSS ANDY Farrell stated his pride at how his team got over the line to seal back-to-back Six Nations titles.
A defensively strong Scotland team made life difficult for Farrell’s team but tries from Dan Sheehan and Andrew Porter helped Ireland to a 17-13 win in their closing game of the campaign.
Ireland had to bounce back from last weekend’s defeat away to England to clinch the title and while there were some nervy moments in Dublin this evening, the home side had enough to earn their country’s 16th championship trophy, denying Scotland a Triple Crown in the process.
“It’s a proper Test match and when a trophy is on the line for the both of us, that’s how it should be, shouldn’t it?” said Farrell.
“I’ve no doubt that Scotland will be proud of their performance as well as us, but ultimately we’re delighted. It’s about winning championships for us and that’s unbelievably pleasing because it’s so hard to do.
“Everyone constantly talks about Grand Slams and we get carried away with it so much, back-to-back Grand Slams have never been done before, there’s obviously a good reason for that but for us to be in a position to win back-to-back Six Nations is a nice feeling, because it goes down in history for Irish rugby. We’re unbelievably proud of the group.”
It was always going to be interesting to see how Ireland performed in this Six Nations, having had such disappointment at the World Cup last year and also having lost skipper Johnny Sexton and the influential Keith Earls to retirement.
There were injuries to contend with too, particularly in the back three as Mack Hansen, Jimmy O’Brien, Ciarán Frawley, and Hugo Keenan all ruled out at different stages.
Farrell was pleased with how his team managed those challenges and he hopes there is plenty more to come from this squad.
“I think it was a fantastic campaign for this group and yeah, we’re continuing on from where we left off and trying to improve as a group,” said Farrell.
“But we all know things change year-on-year as far as personnel’s concerned and injuries and whatnot, staff leaving, staff coming in, new staff.
“I reckon the loss last week will be the best thing for us as a group because some of these lads, subconsciously now, not through their own doing, they’ve been used to winning.
“They have, but the special thing about the Six Nations, and why the Grand Slams are so hard to do is that it changes week-on-week like we all know.
“Some people are fighting for their lives and for this group, for some of the lads who are not used to losing at all, I don’t know, I’ll have to ask them, they get to the point where they’re turning up for games actually thinking ‘we’re doing it’.
“You’re never doing it. You’re never doing it in the Six Nations because things change week-to-week and that Test match last week was a proper Test match in Twickenham and so it should be.
“We’ll learn the lessons from that and that will be powerful for us going forward like this one was tonight.
“This was a proper Test match. Scotland are a great side. I thought they were tenacious, they were tough and I actually thought we played bloody well. We came out of the blocks in the second half and that was magnificent. The power, the pace we put into the game, but we couldn’t get over the line but that’s how it should be.
“Scotland have got a lot to say in that and that was a proper Test match where trophies were on the line and the last two weeks for us is going to be a great learning.”
It remains to be seen if captain Peter O’Mahony will continue to be part of this Ireland group as they look toward their two-Test tour of South Africa this summer.
Farrell said he will allow O’Mahony to make his own decision.
“Whatever’s right for him,” said Farrell.
“I’ve been an unbelievably big fan of Pete all the way through his career and we have a close enough relationship, to be honest, with one another and we’ve been talking about his career, certainly when it’s getting towards the end, for the last year.
“So we’re realists as far as that’s concerned. I’ve no doubt we’ll chew the fat on that over the next coming days.”
