Best is yet to come, insists Andy Farrell as Ireland eye history
BABE IN ARMS: Ireland’s Stuart McCloskey with his newborn baby after the game. Picture: INPHO/Dan Sheridan
Andy Farrell insisted his Ireland side have not played their best rugby yet as they face into a potentially history-making World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand next weekend.
Ireland cruised into the last eight with a scintillating performance to beat Scotland 36-14 at Stade de France on Saturday night to top Pool B and advance alongside defending champions South Africa while sending the Scots home before the knockout stages for the third time in their last four World Cup appearances.
It gave Farrell’s team their 17th consecutive Test victory, a run which started in New Zealand 15 months ago when they beat the All Blacks in the second game of their historic Test series success, having lost the opener 42-19 at Eden Park.
A win against the same opposition next Saturday night back at Stade de France would not only be Ireland’s first quarter-final victory at their 10th World Cup but also stretch that winning streak to a world-record equalling 18 Tests.
Asked why he felt his team could make history in their next game, the head coach was unequivocal.
“I don't think and neither do the team think that we've played our best rugby yet,” Farrell said. “We know where we want to go and want we're trying to achieve. Will we ever get there? I don't know.
“It's days like next week that's coming where we need to find out a little bit more about ourselves. These lads are certainly willing to do that.” Ireland will face a New Zealand side which has gathered momentum since their opening night defeat to tournament hosts France in Paris on September 8, hammering Namibia, Italy and Uruguay by an aggregate score of 240-20 and the Irish head coach said he was relishing the match-up as the All Blacks seek to avenge their series loss on home soil in July 2022.
“New Zealand are a fantastic side, and for little old Ireland to be talked about in the same bracket as the All Blacks shows how far we've come as a rugby playing nation,” Farrell said.
“The respect we've got for New Zealand is through the roof. The form they've got at this moment in time is top drawer, and I'm sure that they will be relishing this fixture to try and put a few things right. It's tough, it's as tough as it gets.
"Two weeks ago, it was a tough game (in beating South Africa 13-8) and this one was knockout type rugby so it gets a whole lot tougher next week against the All Blacks and hopefully they will need to be at their best to beat us as well.”
Farrell issued an injury update at the end of a game in which Ireland lost wingers James Lowe (eye) and Mack Hansen (calf) to injury by half-time.
"We'll see how they pull up in the morning but Mack went off with a HIA (head injury assessment) and when he came back on he felt his calf straight away, so we got him off.
"James Ryan has a bit of a knock on his wrist that we have to assess more, so we'll see how he is now.
"James Lowe got a bang in the eye, his eye shut and he couldn't really see much. His vision was coming back towards the end of the game, which is good.
"Then, a few more bangs and bruises that we'll need to assess tomorrow."
The Ireland boss also praised his team’s huge army of travelling supporters, who formed the vast majority of the 78,459 crowd, turning Stade de France green and celebrating wildly at full-time as the stadium loudspeakers belted out the Cranberries’ “Zombie”, “The Fields of Athenry”, The Pogues’ “Dirty Old Town” and the Dubliners’ “Wild Rover”, which Farrell was singing along to on the pitch.
“My wife and my two girls were there, that's why I was singing to them. I think it's amazing, the songs at the end of the game, I love all that. We got a bit of stick, didn't we, for walking around against South Africa, but we walk round and thank the fans after every game.
“It's the least we can do when they turn up in their thousands like they've done. We play for them, we talk about it every week. I talked about it before the game today in the dressing room, it means more than what people think, 100 per cent, and I know that France is buzzing with Irish people, but I believe it's bonkers back home.
“We're torn a bit, enjoying it with the fans back home or stay here? We'll stay here for now! We know when we turn up for training on Monday that we're not just doing it for ourselves.” end
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