Andy Farrell praises assured Calvin Nash for overcoming pre-match nerves

NERVOUS NASH: Ireland's Calvin Nash celebrates. Pic Credit: Dan Sheridan, Inpho.

Tough, assured and with a point of difference, Calvin Nash’s try-scoring Six Nations debut for Ireland earned Andy Farrell’s praise, as did the right wing’s honesty in admitting his nerves prior to the France clash.

Six months after being jettisoned from the head coach’s World Cup plans after an August Test debut against Italy, Nash made the most of his second chance as Ireland sealed a record 31-17 away win against France last Friday night.

The in-form Munster wing’s maiden international try, in the left corner, was Ireland’s third of five at Stade Velodrome and with Jack Crowley’s touchline conversion stretched the visitors’ half-time lead to 24-10 six minutes after the restart.

Yet it was Nash’s overall contribution and his eve of match admission to Farrell of pre-match nerves that really made an impact on his boss.

“It was a big week for him,” Farrell said of his choice to replace the injured Mack Hansen.

“We had a good old chat yesterday after the captain's run and it's nice when people are able to be upfront and tell you exactly how they're feeling so you can help them, there's no point not saying anything.

“It was a big week for him and at the start of the week, I'm sure that there was a lot that was going through his mind but, through the help of his team-mates and the reassurance of what he brings to the team, he was able over the last couple of days to get himself to a point where he was able to be himself.

“I thought he looked strong on the ball and he is strong, isn't he? His point of difference is always chasing something down and all that stuff that doesn't take much talent and he nearly got one in the air as well from the kick-off and that's part of his game as well.

“I thought he looked really assured. He's tough. His defence was tough as well. He came off with a little bit of a dead leg there (but) he'll be fine.”

Calvin Nash and Ciara O’Brien.

Nash, 26, revealed he had reached out to Irish Test centurion and now-retired Munster wing Keith Earls, his fellow Limerickman for advice as the squad trained at their Portugal camp last week.

“I was quite nervous now, to be fair. I actually texted Earlsy as well at the start of the week. ‘Man, I’m up the walls here.’” Earls had replied, Nash said: “’Man, you need to enjoy it.’ He wished he enjoyed it more. And yeah, that’s what I tried to do out there I suppose.” It was also Farrell’s intuition to sense Nash’s discomfort and then his calming words that also hit home with the rookie Test wing.

“It opened up my eyes to how good Faz is with people, you know, looking out to see what way they are. He was like, ‘You’ve been quiet this week.’ And I was like, ‘How has he spotted this?’ “No, it was good. I had a good chat with him.

"He just said, what are you going to do in attack? What are you going to do in defence? That kind of way. I had all the answers. So he was like, ‘there you go, there’s all the answers. Just be yourself’.

“To be honest, that made me feel way better. Yeah, it was class to be out there.” Nash was also grateful for the advice he received when he sought out Ireland performance coach Gary Keegan and his subsequent performance did not appear to be that of a player under stress.

“I had a good chat with Gary as well, the psychologist, last night, and he kind of reiterated what Faz was saying to me, just be yourself.

“It’s not as if you just appeared in this Irish jersey, you’ve almost won it like, that kind of way. I think that really put my mind at ease. It was all about giving my best there I suppose and doing my best for the team.” Nash’s first try for Ireland certainly relieved any lingering pressure as he collected Caelan Doris’s well-timed pass after the No.8 had collected Robbie Henshaw’s excellent offload off the deck.

“I remember just thinking, ‘Please, can I get the ball here please, please, please.’ And obviously Caelan gave the last pass. I was delighted, just went over the line, it was unreal from everyone else. I supposed I was just standing there.”

Nash’s celebration as he was mobbed by delighted team-mates also produced a new symbol with his hands across his forehead, an acknowledgement of a new nickname, ‘Triangle Head’.

Asked who had christened him thus, he said: “Two Triangle heads, Conor Murray and Jack Conan. I had to give them something if I scored.”