IT WAS IMMEDIATELY apparent post-match in Rome just how happy Andy Farrell was.
While some pundits and supporters were more focused on picking apart the disappointing aspects of Ireland’s performance, the head coach was clearly buzzing after his side had made it three bonus-point wins from three in the Six Nations.
Asked about a TV shot of him biting his nails during what was a tense second half in his side’s 34-20 win, Farrell joked that his mother was going to be mad with him. He also cracked gags about the latest Premier League results and one journalist’s match preview in a relaxed chat with the travelling media.
Farrell did acknowledge that there were things Ireland could have done better at Stadio Olimpico but he was far keener to highlight the good stuff like five excellent tries, his side’s character in that tricky second half, and the impact of his bench.
And why shouldn’t Farrell be happy? His side have a maximum 15 match points from 15 in the Six Nations so far despite having had to deal with an injury crisis that hasn’t really been labelled as that because Ireland have just kept on winning. It’s hard to imagine that an Irish team would have so comfortably dealt with losing the likes of Johnny Sexton, Tadhg Furlong, and Tadhg Beirne in the past.
It was the absence of Garry Ringrose which was felt most yesterday. We got an insightful illustration of just how important he is in gluing it all together, particularly in defence. Much of Ringrose’s best defensive work goes unnoticed but it was impossible not to notice how much he was missed in Rome.
Farrell probably expected a few midfield hiccups given how late Ringrose was ruled out. It happened on Friday morning, so there was little time for Ireland to get their heads around the reshuffle. In the end, the midfield combination of Stuart McCloskey and Bundee Aki delivered some brilliant moments and some disappointing ones. Their head coach was honest about that post-match, indicating that they’d had a mixed bag.
As well as being cognisant of who was missing on his side, Farrell understands that Italy are a good team now. Whereas previous warnings about the Italians’ threat were exaggerated, this is a vintage crop. Some of their young players are as talented as emerging stars anywhere in the rugby world.
They’re organised, well-coached, and more physical than before. So Farrell is right to be happy with a 14-point winning margin and a bonus point that was secured before half time away from home.
He and his coaching staff are in that happy place of winning again but having loads of bits to focus on as they look to finish this Six Nations with their two best performances against Scotland and England.
Defence coach Simon Easterby will have a field day in his review after watching Ireland concede six linebreaks and miss 24 tackles. Farrell and attack coach Mike Catt can ask questions about Ireland coming away scoreless seven times in the 22 even though they notched five good tries. Forwards coach Paul O’Connell can nit-pick around a couple of restart and lineout bits, while scrum specialist John Fogarty can look at two free-kick and one penalty concessions in that area alongside the good work.
There’s no doubt Ireland need to be better for Scotland and England, but they should be helped by their injury problems easing in the next fortnight. The likes of Ringrose, Sexton, Furlong, Jamison Gibson-Park, and Robbie Henshaw should be back in the mix.
And while Ireland always talk about chasing an ’80-minute performance,’ one senses that they’re realistic about that aim. Rugby is a chaotic game in which perfection is impossible. Farrell seems to appreciate that his side’s ability to have flurries of brilliance is good enough.
He doesn’t overfocus on intermittent errors, publicly at least. We’re certain he reviews them with his players but he doesn’t drag them over the coals in the media immediately post-match. Instead, he tends to highlight the good things his team did.
Some people won’t be happy with what Ireland delivered in Rome but the main man seems very pleased.
