IRFU delight as Andy Farrell takes Ireland defence coaching role

Forget the debacle that was England’s World Cup campaign, Ireland believe that in landing Andy Farrell as their new defence coach, they have staged a coup in hiring a British & Irish Lions series winner.

The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) was understandably “delighted” yesterday to reveal Farrell’s appointment as successor to Les Kiss, with the former Rugby League legend taking up the role in head coach Joe Schmidt’s backroom staff after the 2016 RBS 6 Nations Championship.

Farrell will join the Ireland coaching set-up, having been assistant coach with England from 2011 to 2015, a role which ended in World Cup failure for Stuart Lancaster’s squad when the hosts were eliminated at the pool stage, following calamitous defeats at Twickenham to Wales and Australia.