Ireland will be strongly favoured to revive their title hopes in the 2022 Guinness Six Nations when hosting Italy in a fortnight's time. The Azzurri succumbed to a rather tame 33-0 defeat by England in an error-strewn encounter in Rome on Sunday afternoon, their 34th defeat in a row in the Championship.
England’s bonus-point win elevated them above Ireland on points difference into second place, and Andy Farrell’s side will also have to win at Twickenham in round four to sustain a title challenge until the last weekend when hosting Scotland.
France have still to travel to Murrayfield – something of a bogey ground for them and where defeat two years ago cost them the title – and the Principality Stadium in order to set up a dream Grand Chelem coronation against England in Paris.
However, the Irish head coach accepted that Les Bleus are in pole position after their 30-24 win at an impassioned Stade de France on Saturday.
"History shows you that you've got to be ready in the Six Nations. You've got to make sure that your own house is in order in regards to your next game and you look at the competition with Wales winning today against Scotland, England losing their first game and obviously they'll be determined to get back on the horse tomorrow.
“So, yes, France are in pole position, they’ve had two home games and they got a bonus-point win [last week] but at the same time we move into our next game and try to be at our best and take each game from there. I’m sure that if we continue to show the fight and character that we have done here, which was an unbelievable Test match, I’m sure we’ll be in the mix towards the end of it.
“But at the same time we move on to our next game and try our best to be at our best and take each game from there. I’m sure that if we continue to show the fight and character that we have done here in what was an unbelievable Test match I’m sure we’ll certainly be in the mix towards the end of it.”
Farrell admitted Ireland made "a bad exit" in the game's opening play in the prelude to Antoine Dupont's quick throw to Romain Ntamack before finishing off the score from the latter's offload. He also accepted that France bossed the collisions in the first half, forcing Ireland to play off static ball.
“We were trying to be direct in the first half but sometimes I thought we could have backed ourselves to be a little bit more positive in how we played.
“We certainly did that in the second half and we got our rewards, didn’t we, through playing nice and early and, certainly, the courage of our convictions and our fitness combined to give us a chance of winning the game.
Still, his pride in the performance was palpable.
“We will certainly show them during the week the reason why they are such a courageous side because we have seen many a team that come here to Paris and fall over completely, especially when faced with a scoreline like 22-7. That certainly was never going to be the case with this lot, they back themselves to get into the game and like I said to be in with a chance of winning the game shows a lot.
“But at the same time we will be honest enough to work out the reasons why we got to that stage in the first place. There is obviously plenty of learnings, both with a few things not going for us during the week and a few things not going for us in the game as far as injuries and turnovers and set-backs etc, it never fazed the group and that’s a brilliant way to take this forward.”
Ireland will have a two-day get-together on Thursday and will have to assess the shoulder injury which forced Rónan Kelleher off in the 26th minute, while Peter O’Mahony had to depart for an HIA within five minutes of his arrival as a replacement and did not return.
In a game of many big moments, none could be said to have absolutely decided the outcome. But much of the post-match discussion among Irish supporters revolved around the surprising decision by James Ryan and his lieutenants to opt for a three-pointer in the 72nd minute when trailing 27-21 instead of going for a bonus-point try and the lead for the first time.
A key lineout steal by Francois Cros in the 67th minute after a wondrous, left-footed 50:22 by the immense Tadhg Beirne may also have contributed to Ryan's thinking, as he also calls the lineouts.
It could also be that a signal was sent down to the players to go for ‘points’. In any event, Farrell was not even of a mind to wonder what might have been.
“It’s all ifs, buts and maybes and the players have a great feel on the field and in reality we got three points and there’s plenty of time in the way that we were playing.
“Remember that we had another opportunity from a lineout close to the end there that we missed so you can judge everything individually differently. It’s ifs, buts and maybes, but I was unbelievably pleased with the character, fight and the want from the players, certainly in that second half.”
