'Let's keep getting better' - Sexton and Farrell want more improvement ahead of World Cup

“It's very Irish to think 'Oh we have to take it easy now until the World Cup.' But no, let's keep making the most of it. Let's keep getting better,' Sexton said.

Sat, 16 Jul, 2022 - 21:07

Simon Lewis, Wellington

Andy Farrell was only half-joking when the inevitable question about next year’s World Cup ambitions came Ireland’s way in the wake of their famous series victory over the All Blacks.

“Give us a break,” the head coach exclaimed. “Come on. Give us a break.” He had a point. His side had just won back-to-back Tests in New Zealand and become the first Test team to do so since the French in 1994 and also return to the top of the World Rugby Rankings.

It was an achievement that surely must go down as Irish rugby’s greatest and the players that contributed to it should be treasured as some of the finest to wear the green jersey, many of them having been a part of all five of their nation’s victories over the All Blacks, each of them achieved in their last eight meetings with three-time world champions.

They were certainly set to celebrate accordingly in New Zealand’s capital city late into Saturday, just as their compatriots in the Sky Stadium grandstands were as they poured into Wellington’s bars and pubs for a night of revelry. Moments like this do not come along very often and those that witnessed it, never mind played in it, wanted to make it a night to remember.

They have every right to toast the moment, just as the Ireland squad revelled in the glory of their feats after the final whistle. Yet the question was a valid one. Ireland have scaled the summit before and in 2018, with a Grand Slam, series win in Australia and a first home win over the All Blacks, it proved a year too soon.

The following year was horrible for Joe Schmidt’s team. Less than two months after Schmidt was named World Rugby’s Coach of the Year, Johnny Sexton its Player of the Year and Ireland the Team of the Year, they were getting spanked at home by England in the opening round of the Six Nations. A terrible World Cup warm-up campaign saw the English trounce them once more at Twickenham six months later and by the time they reached Japan for the 2019 tournament, the wheels were starting to come off. Defeat to the hosts in the pool stages followed and it was the All Blacks that delivered the knockout blow in a ruthless revenge mission at the quarter-final stage.

So there was good reason to ask if this summer was a good time for Farrell and captain Sexton to remind his players of the importance of avoiding the dreaded ‘peak too soon’ syndrome that haunted Ireland three years ago in Japan.

“Joking aside, you are right,” Farrell said, “because that’s the biggest thing about the tour, the learnings that we get from it as a group of 70 people, 40 players and 30 staff.

“To have done what we’ve done and to make it so hectic and so difficult, there’s so many lessons to be learned and that takes a lot of reflecting over the summer and used in the right way it’s a powerful thing for us going forward.”

Sexton said: “We have got a full season to play, It shouldn't be 'beat New Zealand and let's wait for the World Cup'.

“There is plenty more to play. There are big home games in November, there's a Six Nations to play. We still haven't achieved things that we want to achieve..

“We got a Triple Crown this year but a Championship or better would be something that we are aiming for. So, there is no reason why we shouldn't be trying to progress and do that.

“It's very Irish to think 'Oh we have to take it easy now until the World Cup.' But no, let's keep making the most of it. Let's keep getting better.

“That has to be driven by, of course, me as captain and the rest of the leadership group to turn up and show the right attitude in September. Then we are back playing for our provinces. Just keep getting better, that's the key.”

Just please enjoy tonight Johnny. You deserve it.