IN A SURPRISE to no one, Andy Farrell didn’t seem to be in the mood for chatting after Ireland lost to the All Blacks for the third time in a row.
As the press conference wore on, his answers got shorter and shorter. It was clear that Farrell wanted to get going. But even the plan for returning to Ireland seemed unsatisfactory.
“I’m back Monday morning, so that’s a day-ish missed with a bit of jetlag or whatever,” said Farrell.
While the All Blacks departed the US on a charter flight bound for Scotland, Farrell’s Ireland set-up returned home from Chicago across two different flights.
But as Farrell made clear, there is no time for moaning or moping. Ireland play Japan this Saturday in Dublin and they need to bounce back convincingly after letting an opportunity slip against the All Blacks. Ireland will be firm favourites against Eddie Jones’ Brave Blossoms, but then come bigger challenges against Australia and South Africa.
“There’s zero excuses from here on,” said Farrell as he expressed his hope that no one is talking about Irish players’ lack of match sharpness anymore in the coming weeks.
“We need to buckle down,” he added.
The Ireland boss has faith his players will respond strongly to the setback at Soldier Field. They clearly enjoyed their two-week build-up in Chicago, but the main event is what they and everyone else will remember. It wasn’t a happy day out in a place that has such special history. The All Blacks deserve credit for their final-quarter surge but Ireland had plenty in their control that didn’t go right.
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Ireland boss Andy Farrell at Soldier Field. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
Farrell said his confidence that this group of players will rebound is based on what they’ve done previously after tough setbacks.
“The reaction that’s happened in the past,” is how he put it.
Yet Farrell knows better than anyone that past achievements count for nothing in sport if you don’t keep pushing forward. He and his players have earned their excellent reputation among the world’s best teams, but they also know that there can be no standing still.
Indeed, it sounds like Ireland are looking over their shoulders this autumn.
“It becomes really important if you look at the significance of world ranking points and all that. Playing against a side like Japan, it becomes massively important, so it’s about being honest with each other and making sure that we learn from that,” said Farrell.
Ryan Baird also mentioned the world rankings separately post-match in Chicago. Ireland have clearly been talking about this, and while it’s obvious that they need to secure top seeding for the 2027 World Cup pool draw, it doesn’t seem like the most invigorating mission.
Whatever about the theme they may have set for this autumn campaign, the hurt from last weekend should bring about an improvement this weekend against Japan.
Farrell’s team selection will be interesting. He will likely be tempted to stick with a similar selection, hoping that first-choice players benefit from more game time ahead of the Australia and South Africa games.
Japan suffered a heavy defeat to South Africa last weekend in London, but ran a rotated Australia team close in their previous game, while they won the Pacific Nations Cup in September. Farrell will ensure they’re given respect.
Ireland were left dejected in Chicago. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
But there will surely be scope to give other players a chance to shine. The fact that Stuart McCloskey and Ryan Baird – two men not always seen as frontliners – were among Ireland’s standouts in Chicago was telling. Ireland want to create more competition and depth, so Farrell needs to keep giving people opportunities to do that.
“We’ll see how people turn up when we land back and what the mood is within the camp and how we rotate it from there,” said Farrell about the possibility of changes.
The Ireland boss was happy with how out-half Jack Crowley did after being handed the number 10 shirt ahead of Sam Prendergast.
“I thought he controlled the game pretty well,” said Farrell.
“Accuracy and a few bits, but good decision making. The crossfield kick into touch [when he tried to find McCloskey], I said to him at half-time, ‘Good decision.’ It was just execution. I thought he tactically played the game pretty well. He’ll be better for it.”
And Farrell is hoping Ireland will be the better for the defeat to New Zealand in the long run.
He said they must be “brutally honest” in their review as they look to win the rest of their November games.
“If we can’t stand up to that challenge, then we shouldn’t be here anyway.”
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'Zero excuses from here' - Farrell's Ireland must bounce back
IN A SURPRISE to no one, Andy Farrell didn’t seem to be in the mood for chatting after Ireland lost to the All Blacks for the third time in a row.
As the press conference wore on, his answers got shorter and shorter. It was clear that Farrell wanted to get going. But even the plan for returning to Ireland seemed unsatisfactory.
“I’m back Monday morning, so that’s a day-ish missed with a bit of jetlag or whatever,” said Farrell.
While the All Blacks departed the US on a charter flight bound for Scotland, Farrell’s Ireland set-up returned home from Chicago across two different flights.
But as Farrell made clear, there is no time for moaning or moping. Ireland play Japan this Saturday in Dublin and they need to bounce back convincingly after letting an opportunity slip against the All Blacks. Ireland will be firm favourites against Eddie Jones’ Brave Blossoms, but then come bigger challenges against Australia and South Africa.
“There’s zero excuses from here on,” said Farrell as he expressed his hope that no one is talking about Irish players’ lack of match sharpness anymore in the coming weeks.
“We need to buckle down,” he added.
The Ireland boss has faith his players will respond strongly to the setback at Soldier Field. They clearly enjoyed their two-week build-up in Chicago, but the main event is what they and everyone else will remember. It wasn’t a happy day out in a place that has such special history. The All Blacks deserve credit for their final-quarter surge but Ireland had plenty in their control that didn’t go right.
Farrell said his confidence that this group of players will rebound is based on what they’ve done previously after tough setbacks.
“The reaction that’s happened in the past,” is how he put it.
Yet Farrell knows better than anyone that past achievements count for nothing in sport if you don’t keep pushing forward. He and his players have earned their excellent reputation among the world’s best teams, but they also know that there can be no standing still.
Indeed, it sounds like Ireland are looking over their shoulders this autumn.
“It becomes really important if you look at the significance of world ranking points and all that. Playing against a side like Japan, it becomes massively important, so it’s about being honest with each other and making sure that we learn from that,” said Farrell.
Ryan Baird also mentioned the world rankings separately post-match in Chicago. Ireland have clearly been talking about this, and while it’s obvious that they need to secure top seeding for the 2027 World Cup pool draw, it doesn’t seem like the most invigorating mission.
Whatever about the theme they may have set for this autumn campaign, the hurt from last weekend should bring about an improvement this weekend against Japan.
Farrell’s team selection will be interesting. He will likely be tempted to stick with a similar selection, hoping that first-choice players benefit from more game time ahead of the Australia and South Africa games.
Japan suffered a heavy defeat to South Africa last weekend in London, but ran a rotated Australia team close in their previous game, while they won the Pacific Nations Cup in September. Farrell will ensure they’re given respect.
But there will surely be scope to give other players a chance to shine. The fact that Stuart McCloskey and Ryan Baird – two men not always seen as frontliners – were among Ireland’s standouts in Chicago was telling. Ireland want to create more competition and depth, so Farrell needs to keep giving people opportunities to do that.
“We’ll see how people turn up when we land back and what the mood is within the camp and how we rotate it from there,” said Farrell about the possibility of changes.
The Ireland boss was happy with how out-half Jack Crowley did after being handed the number 10 shirt ahead of Sam Prendergast.
“I thought he controlled the game pretty well,” said Farrell.
“Accuracy and a few bits, but good decision making. The crossfield kick into touch [when he tried to find McCloskey], I said to him at half-time, ‘Good decision.’ It was just execution. I thought he tactically played the game pretty well. He’ll be better for it.”
And Farrell is hoping Ireland will be the better for the defeat to New Zealand in the long run.
He said they must be “brutally honest” in their review as they look to win the rest of their November games.
“If we can’t stand up to that challenge, then we shouldn’t be here anyway.”
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