THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE for any coach in any sport is making sure their messages continue to land.
Most people in most walks of life can tell you about a boss whose communication started to fall on deaf ears but it’s more acute in professional sport, which is played out so publicly and involves so many highs and lows.
There aren’t many coaches who can simply go on and on in the one place. That’s among the reasons that Andy Farrell has so much admiration for what Manchester United did under Alex Ferguson. It kills Farrell, a diehard Man City reporter, to admit it.
He has huge respect for what the All Blacks achieved in winning back-to-back World Cups in 2011, with Graham Henry and Steve Hansen managing to maintain a remarkable winning record in a brilliant period that means they’re possibly the best team ever.
South Africa have entered that discussion with their own back-to-back World Cups and now successive Rugby Championship titles, although you’d be hard pressed to get Farrell to wax lyrical about Rassie Erasmus and co. right now. They’re actively vicious rivals.
All of this is to say that Farrell may well have his biggest challenge yet as Ireland coach ahead. Since taking over as Ireland boss after the 2019 World Cup, Farrell has guided his team to a Grand Slam, another Six Nations title, a Triple Crown, a series success in New Zealand, and a few other momentous wins along the way.
He didn’t seem to lose much sleep over the 2023 World Cup quarter-final defeat to the All Blacks, but you can bet that he is hugely ambitious about trying to tick that box in 2027. Having already achieved so much with Ireland, making history in 2027 would take him to the next level in terms of legacy.
Farrell’s side played the best rugby of his tenure in 2023. Watching some of their games from that year is eye-opening. They played at breakneck speed, with delightfully accurate skills, oppressive defence, smart kicking, and consistent physicality. Everyone was on exactly the same page. They were a team on a mission to win the World Cup and that showed in nearly everything they did on the pitch.
Whether it looks the same in terms of tactics, Farrell’s job is to build his Ireland team to a point of similar high performance in the next two years. His reputation as a supreme motivator of players is well earned, while his tactical and technical acumen are key strengths too.
Ireland have world-class players like Dan Sheehan to call on. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
Make no doubt about it, winning the 2027 World Cup will be Farrell’s big target. There are brilliant challenges immediately ahead with an exciting autumn campaign in the coming weeks, as well as the goal of recapturing the Six Nations title next year. There’s the new Nations Cup to launch in 2026 too.
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The Six Nations will always be Ireland’s bread and butter, of course. It’s crucial in a financial sense for Irish rugby but also in a competitive dimension given Ireland’s proud record. Farrell has never been one for using championship games to experiment.
All the while, Farrell will be thinking about the World Cup in Australia. Every international head coach will be the same. And yet, while he plots ahead to that tournament, Farrell needs to get his team ready for what’s directly in front of them.
In that sense, the launch of this new chapter for Ireland takes place against the All Blacks in Chicago in two weekends, a fitting occasion to focus minds.
“Everyone understands it’s a huge game, so it’s perfect,” said Ireland assistant coach John Fogarty yesterday, ahead of Ireland’s departure for Chicago today.
“It’s a perfect game for us. I remember coming back from the [2023] World Cup and we played France away [at the start of the 2024 Six Nations], it was down in Marseille, somewhere France are hugely proud of.
“The fact that it was France away first up in that Six Nations, it did probably feel a little bit different because they understood the challenge.
“It’ll be no different now.”
When he named a big contingent of Irish players in his Lions squad for the summer tour of Australia, Farrell probably knew he’d be adding to the challenge for himself with Ireland this season.
That has proven to be the case with Hugo Keenan, Joe McCarthy, and Mack Hansen all currently missing due to injury, while most of the Lions who are in the Ireland squad have played just one game for their provinces.
It hasn’t helped Irish supporters’ confidence that Leinster’s Ireland contingent weren’t sharp in their defeat to Munster last weekend, although Fogarty said that “massive kick in the arse” might be a good thing for the Leinster players.
And Ireland won’t be giving themselves excuses for a possible slow start against New Zealand.
Leinster had a tough night against Munster last weekend. Tom Maher / INPHO
Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
“It’s the nature of November for a lot of guys, I know the Lions makes it a little bit different,” said Fogarty.
“We worked really closely with those Lions players throughout the summer. They’ve had rest, they’ve had a pre-season, so any little bits and pieces that are untidy or fix-ups.
“Mentally, they’re not fatigued from anything.
“They should be in a really good place to come in and hit the ground running, and that’s what’s expected of them.”
Even with the early departure for Chicago, Ireland don’t have much time to prepare for this run of games against New Zealand, Japan, Australia, and South Africa.
They came into camp yesterday morning and did a gym session, as well as a walk-through ‘install’ of the plays they will use in the New Zealand game. They fly to the US today and will continue their prep in Chicago with big pitch sessions on Thursday and Saturday before a regular game week ahead of the All Blacks clash.
Farrell and co. are relying on experienced senior players to get up to speed without delay.
“They’re seasoned campaigners, a lot of them,” said Fogarty. “They’ve done that well for us in the past. We’ll make things really, really clear for them.
“For those guys, the mental pitch that they need to be at so that they can perform against the best teams in the world is hugely important.
“So they have a little bit of time to reflect on where they’re at, where they need to be, but we have every confidence in them to get up to speed.
“They understand how important November is and they understand the importance of playing in this group, playing in an Irish jersey, representing Ireland.
“All these things are hugely important to all of us and it’s such a great opportunity. We have every confidence that they will be up to the right pitch come Soldier Field.”
Farrell hopes this US trip is the start of something special. He will be dreaming big.
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Farrell and Ireland launch into new chapter leading to 2027 World Cup
THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE for any coach in any sport is making sure their messages continue to land.
Most people in most walks of life can tell you about a boss whose communication started to fall on deaf ears but it’s more acute in professional sport, which is played out so publicly and involves so many highs and lows.
There aren’t many coaches who can simply go on and on in the one place. That’s among the reasons that Andy Farrell has so much admiration for what Manchester United did under Alex Ferguson. It kills Farrell, a diehard Man City reporter, to admit it.
He has huge respect for what the All Blacks achieved in winning back-to-back World Cups in 2011, with Graham Henry and Steve Hansen managing to maintain a remarkable winning record in a brilliant period that means they’re possibly the best team ever.
South Africa have entered that discussion with their own back-to-back World Cups and now successive Rugby Championship titles, although you’d be hard pressed to get Farrell to wax lyrical about Rassie Erasmus and co. right now. They’re actively vicious rivals.
All of this is to say that Farrell may well have his biggest challenge yet as Ireland coach ahead. Since taking over as Ireland boss after the 2019 World Cup, Farrell has guided his team to a Grand Slam, another Six Nations title, a Triple Crown, a series success in New Zealand, and a few other momentous wins along the way.
He didn’t seem to lose much sleep over the 2023 World Cup quarter-final defeat to the All Blacks, but you can bet that he is hugely ambitious about trying to tick that box in 2027. Having already achieved so much with Ireland, making history in 2027 would take him to the next level in terms of legacy.
Farrell’s side played the best rugby of his tenure in 2023. Watching some of their games from that year is eye-opening. They played at breakneck speed, with delightfully accurate skills, oppressive defence, smart kicking, and consistent physicality. Everyone was on exactly the same page. They were a team on a mission to win the World Cup and that showed in nearly everything they did on the pitch.
Whether it looks the same in terms of tactics, Farrell’s job is to build his Ireland team to a point of similar high performance in the next two years. His reputation as a supreme motivator of players is well earned, while his tactical and technical acumen are key strengths too.
Make no doubt about it, winning the 2027 World Cup will be Farrell’s big target. There are brilliant challenges immediately ahead with an exciting autumn campaign in the coming weeks, as well as the goal of recapturing the Six Nations title next year. There’s the new Nations Cup to launch in 2026 too.
The Six Nations will always be Ireland’s bread and butter, of course. It’s crucial in a financial sense for Irish rugby but also in a competitive dimension given Ireland’s proud record. Farrell has never been one for using championship games to experiment.
All the while, Farrell will be thinking about the World Cup in Australia. Every international head coach will be the same. And yet, while he plots ahead to that tournament, Farrell needs to get his team ready for what’s directly in front of them.
In that sense, the launch of this new chapter for Ireland takes place against the All Blacks in Chicago in two weekends, a fitting occasion to focus minds.
“Everyone understands it’s a huge game, so it’s perfect,” said Ireland assistant coach John Fogarty yesterday, ahead of Ireland’s departure for Chicago today.
“It’s a perfect game for us. I remember coming back from the [2023] World Cup and we played France away [at the start of the 2024 Six Nations], it was down in Marseille, somewhere France are hugely proud of.
“The fact that it was France away first up in that Six Nations, it did probably feel a little bit different because they understood the challenge.
“It’ll be no different now.”
When he named a big contingent of Irish players in his Lions squad for the summer tour of Australia, Farrell probably knew he’d be adding to the challenge for himself with Ireland this season.
That has proven to be the case with Hugo Keenan, Joe McCarthy, and Mack Hansen all currently missing due to injury, while most of the Lions who are in the Ireland squad have played just one game for their provinces.
It hasn’t helped Irish supporters’ confidence that Leinster’s Ireland contingent weren’t sharp in their defeat to Munster last weekend, although Fogarty said that “massive kick in the arse” might be a good thing for the Leinster players.
And Ireland won’t be giving themselves excuses for a possible slow start against New Zealand.
“It’s the nature of November for a lot of guys, I know the Lions makes it a little bit different,” said Fogarty.
“We worked really closely with those Lions players throughout the summer. They’ve had rest, they’ve had a pre-season, so any little bits and pieces that are untidy or fix-ups.
“Mentally, they’re not fatigued from anything.
“They should be in a really good place to come in and hit the ground running, and that’s what’s expected of them.”
Even with the early departure for Chicago, Ireland don’t have much time to prepare for this run of games against New Zealand, Japan, Australia, and South Africa.
They came into camp yesterday morning and did a gym session, as well as a walk-through ‘install’ of the plays they will use in the New Zealand game. They fly to the US today and will continue their prep in Chicago with big pitch sessions on Thursday and Saturday before a regular game week ahead of the All Blacks clash.
Farrell and co. are relying on experienced senior players to get up to speed without delay.
“They’re seasoned campaigners, a lot of them,” said Fogarty. “They’ve done that well for us in the past. We’ll make things really, really clear for them.
“For those guys, the mental pitch that they need to be at so that they can perform against the best teams in the world is hugely important.
“So they have a little bit of time to reflect on where they’re at, where they need to be, but we have every confidence in them to get up to speed.
“They understand how important November is and they understand the importance of playing in this group, playing in an Irish jersey, representing Ireland.
“All these things are hugely important to all of us and it’s such a great opportunity. We have every confidence that they will be up to the right pitch come Soldier Field.”
Farrell hopes this US trip is the start of something special. He will be dreaming big.
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andy farrell Autumn Ireland new chapter World Cup