For the second week in succession Andy Farrell was asked whether he had elicited the required response from his team. This time the answer was in the affirmative. He was broadly pleased with a freewheeling Ireland performance that yielded a 46-19 victory.
“It’s very pleasing to be sat in here with a score like that in those types of conditions against a side which would have been well up for this. It’s pretty pleasing.
“How we handled lots of bits throughout the game, especially with them coming back just before half-time and regathering ourselves and giving a performance like we did in the second half, I thought as far as field position and being across most of our game in that second half was really pleasing.
“The start was pretty good. I thought we really let ourselves go and attacked the game straight from the word go. There were obviously some setbacks, discipline-wise or whatever, a dropped ball.
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“It’s going to happen in games like that, with them coming back into it, but holding our nerve and attacking the game again in the second half and keep playing the type of rugby that we did again in those conditions right until the end [was great]. I thought we gave a good account of ourselves.”
It didn’t take long for conversation to alight on Mack Hansen, Ireland’s ‘new’ fullback, hat-trick hero and the man who wore one black boot and one white boot in his inimitable fashion. Although that word seems incongruous.
Farrell smiled: “Well my first thoughts were, ‘you better play well in those two different coloured boots!’ He’s drawn attention to himself before he’s even started. I said to him before the game, ‘good players don’t need excuses, they can get on with it and just be themselves. You can get the man of the match if you want,’ and he went, ‘yeah, I agree.’
“He’s that type of player, he prepares well, he’s got a great attitude to get across his detail, and so that’s why he slotted straight back in, and he was able to be himself because of that.”
Farrell also gave an update on the injuries. Stuart McCloskey, who had a fine game until his departure, suffered a recurrence of his groin issue, while Thomas Clarkson who went off for a HIA “did pass the test”.
The Irish coach was asked about his two outhalves and corrected the misapprehension that it was just a straight contest between Sam Prendergast and Jack Crowley. “It’s great, isn’t it,?” he said when asked about the ovation the crowd offered when they swapped roles.
“Honestly, lads, I know you guys think it’s a two-horse race, but Harry Byrne’s not sitting down either. Ciarán Frawley is not sitting down. Everyone is within a shout of being able to compete in the here and now and the not-too-distant future, and in the future.
“I get these two having a go at one another and playing really well. They’re actually good mates and good professionals with all that. We’re interested in seeing everyone compete. Harry played pretty well in Spain. It isn’t just the two lads.”
Joe Schmidt was generous in his tribute to Ireland’s ability to sustain pressure in the final quarter but lamented some chances that the Wallabies left behind. “Obviously today, I think with 20 minutes to go, we’re down 22-14. We’re still right in that game. I think when we had that five-metre lineout, we just couldn’t quite get the execution and accuracy right.
“There was some good pressure from Ireland but at the same time, our execution wasn’t good enough. It afforded them 70 per cent territory and position pretty much in that second half. They really controlled the flow of the game, and they controlled the space in behind and the aerial battle.
“We can’t be 22-14 down and collapse like we did tonight. I think the yellow card certainly made things more difficult, especially if you’re trying to overplay at that stage when you’re a man down. There’s always going to be a bit of space somewhere.”
For Ireland captain Caelan Doris, who wore the number seven jersey for the third time in his career, it proved something of a lucky number for Irish players this week with Troy Parrott scoring two goals in the Republic of Ireland soccer team’s win over Portugal.
Doris was a try scorer, his third incidentally in as many matches wearing that jersey. He said: “I got one try and not two unfortunately, I told the lads that after his two goals I’d get two tries, but that didn’t come to fruition.”
It was about the only thing that Ireland failed to honour on a great night for the home side.
