Andy Farrell hopes that a corner has been turned after third place secured

Ireland Head Coach Andy Farrell

Best of the rest. That’s Ireland’s station in the Northern Hemisphere right now, 12 months after Andy Farrell took the reins and ushered in a new era for the national team after the golden age under Joe Schmidt.

Victory over Scotland on Saturday confirmed third place for Ireland in the Autumn Nations Cup, just as defeat in Paris on October 31 left Farrell’s men in the same position for the 2020 Guinness Six Nations.