Andy Farrell challenges his charges to grab their World Cup auditions

NO ROOM FOR EXCUSES: Andy Farrell has challenged his players in a new-look Ireland side to grasp their World Cup opportunities on Saturday and warned that there will be no room for excuses at the Aviva Stadium. Pic: INPHO/Evan Treacy

Andy Farrell has challenged his players in a new-look Ireland side to grasp their World Cup opportunities on Saturday and warned that there will be no room for excuses at the Aviva Stadium.

This weekend will be the first of three warm-up games played by the world’s number one-ranked side and the head coach has gone with a mix of youth and experience on the back of a six-week pre-season that has been hailed by both players and management.

“We're at a stage where we're all gagging for a game and you are judging constantly how preparation's going and trying to balance that out with a side that's got the experience and youth, that you're able to put a side out at the weekend to judge properly,” he said.

“I'm 100% sure there are some individuals that will take the field saying to themselves that 'this a big chance and big opportunity for me’. You've got to surround those people with good enough experienced players as well to be able to judge them properly.” 

Like his forwards coach Paul O’Connell on Tuesday, Farrell expressed a dislike for the word ‘experiment’ or any of its derivatives. O’Connell spoke about hitting the ground running against the Azzurri after a rugby-focused prep and Farrell is in step with that.

The Englishman talked about what is 'acceptable' and what isn’t and he will be looking for a considerably better and more fluid display than the ones carded last November against Fiji and against Italy in the Six Nations when fresh faces were flooded in to the XV.

Unfamiliar combinations? He’s not buying it. Or selling it, for that matter.

It was Farrell who made the point on Thursday afternoon that Ireland normally get 12 days to work together before a Six Nations. That’s a timeframe that corresponds to just five on-pitch sessions. They have had oodles more time as a collective before this.

So, he’s not interested in any soft openings.

“It's the first match and we expect ourselves to be at our best, that's the pressure we always do,” Farrell explained. “Do we achieve that? Not always, so that's the challenge, but it's no excuse. We expect that of ourselves.” 

Ticket sales are slow for a game that is failing to catch the interest. Rugby in one passes for an Irish high summer isn’t an easy sell at the best of times and an 8pm kick-off will put off plenty who might otherwise have made the trip up to the big smoke.

Still, there is plenty of interest. Three possible debuts on the day, Caelan Doris switched to seven, Jacob Stockdale playing for Ireland for the first time in more than two years and Jack Crowley handed the keys of the car at ten.

This will be the Munster back’s fourth cap but the youngster made a huge impression when first introduced to the squad and he has continued to demonstrate that level of maturity and confidence while Johnny Sexton serves his three-match ban.

“He has been going great. I have seen his confidence grow, obviously from what happened with Munster, being able to help navigate his team through those difficult periods at the end and get some success.

“The selection at the start of the week for all the players is interesting, isn’t it? Because as coaches you’re seeing everyone really get stuck in and really driving to get better every single day. The minute that selection comes, it’s a different week, isn’t it?

“As far as managing the team and being the main general, as far as Jack is concerned we have been keeping a close eye on that and he has been excellent so far. Excellent so far. A day off today, captain’s run tomorrow, hopefully the confidence continues.”