Andy Farrell hails Irish "resilience" after hard-fought Welsh win

The Ireland head coach says winning a Triple Crown would be "special" next week if they were to beat Scotland

Ireland's Tom O'Toole, Jack Crowley and Thomas Clarkson celebrate after the match. Pic: INPHO/Nick Elliott

Andy Farrell has hailed his Ireland team’s resilience in holding out for a bonus-point Six Nations victory against a physical Welsh team that played anything like a side losing a 15 Championship game in a row.

It took a 77th minute penalty from Jack Crowley to make this round four game safe at the Aviva Stadium with Wales having reached half-time and the 68th-minute at just two points adrift of an Irish side that never matched its effort in Twickenham a fortnight before.

“I actually thought Wales did fantastically well to stay in the game,” said Farrell. “If it goes to 14 points it's a different game you're looking at, but they played tough. They hung on in there and kept it close on the scoreboard, but I thought they were tremendous tonight.

“It was a proper Test match and for us to come away with a bonus point win, we'd certainly take that with how the game unfolded, because it was a different game to the game that we played last time round.

“In regards to… We weren't playing rugby on the front foot because of how well they defended. I thought they were excellent in contact and setpiece. They could be really proud of their performance.” Ireland just never got enough separation from the visitors who soaked up so much pressure against an Irish side that played a huge amount of rugby through the hands and especially so in a first-half where box kicks were a protected species.

Farrell, whose penchant for making changes to his team in this tournament continued with five for this latest outing, agreed when asked if, given all that movement of personnel, he was happy with his team’s resilience.

“I think it was that, I think you've worded it well. It doesn't always go your own way in Test match rugby, especially when the other team turns up and plays like that.

"I thought we was resilient in how we went about our business. If you watch the story of the game, holding on and getting a bonus point win. We'd be delighted with that” It leaves his side still in the Championship and looking to Scotland to slow down the French sprint towards the Grand Slam. It also leaves Ireland just 80 minutes away from a Triple Crown which could be claimed at home next weekend against the Scots.

Not a bad prize, it was put to him, if it could be claimed after the heavy defeat in Paris on opening day and the long dark nights of the soul that followed in its wake.

“It definitely would, we should never take a Triple Crown for granted at all.

“To be in a position to try and perform and get that over the line makes it special for us.”