Andy Farrell: 'The best part of our performance today was our defence'

Ireland's Peter O'Mahony competes in a lineout with James Moore of Japan. Picutre: INPHO/Gary Carr

Andy Farrell watched Ireland turn on the style in attack as Japan were hammered 60-5 in Dublin on Saturday but was more impressed by his team's defensive work.

An Andrew Conway hat-trick of tries spearheaded Ireland’s eight-try to one demolition of the Brave Blossoms at Aviva Stadium to hit the ground running in this month’s Autumn Nation Series of internationals on home soil.

World number one New Zealand are next on the schedule for Farrell’s men but the head coach could not have asked for a better momentum builder ahead of that sold-out clash against the side that knocked Ireland out of the last World Cup with a 46-14 quarter-final drubbing.

On a day when captain and fly-half Johnny Sexton marked his 100th Irish appearance with a try and 10 points from his boot, and prop Tadhg Furlong reached the 50-cap milestone, Ireland were rampant in attack with James Lowe, Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki and Cian Healy also scoring while limiting the off-form Japanese to just one second-half try from wing Soisaia Fifita.

So when asked if he had wished Japan had put up a sterner test for his team, Farrell replied: “As we all know a game takes its own course.

“By a country mile the best part of our performance today was our defence. We didn’t have to do much of it and that is what we wanted - we got the ball back very quickly because we were ready on turnover.

“They are lethal, Japan, on turnover ball; that’s what they pride themselves on, that and counter-attacking. We all know how dangerous they have been. Once you go after a team and force a few errors and they know that is the point of difference, then it doesn’t feel right to them.

"Our attitude was in the right place for what we were bracing ourselves for, an unbelievably tight game, and that's why we're so pleased with the performance because of the outcome.

"I thought when you look at Japan's side, they've been together for quite some time and they've always been a side that has made massive progress and that's why I was so pleased with our defence and set-piece, we didn't let Japan play the game that they wanted to play.”

Farrell agreed that the quality of Ireland’s performance in the first 50 minutes in particular before the majority of substitutions disrupted momentum with the game already won, highlighted the intense competition for places within his squad.

“I think there is competition all over the park after a performance like that. I thought there were some special individual performances. Jack (Conan) got man of the match but you could have given it to a handful of people.

“The pleasing thing is that the first week we came together we worked extremely hard. This week the players really took ownership of what we wanted to achieve. There are some good pictures for us to push forward with for next week against New Zealand as well.”

Farrell also managed to poke fun at Sexton, sitting alongside him, for being on the wrong side of Saturday’s Manchester derby in the Premier League. The head coach is a lifelong City fan, the captain a United supporter.

"Look, it wasn't perfect, there was a bit of discipline issues in the middle of the second half but it's a pleasing day and even a great day for me and not for Johnny because Man City beat Man United.

"So it's been a brilliant week up until the final whistle for Johnny.”