Andy Farrell finds valuable lessons as Ireland battle past Wales 

The Ireland head coach felt his side did not execute their exits to recent standards while he also thought they were guilty of overplaying the ball at times

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell felt his side played into Welsh hands at time during Friday's Six Nations victory. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

It may not have been as easy on the eye as the barnstorming display which dismantled England in the previous round but Andy Farrell learned as much, if not more, from Ireland’s harder fought victory over Wales in Dublin on Friday night.

Eight points in the final 13 minutes at Aviva Stadium, an unconverted try from Jamie Osborne and penalty from the boot of Jack Crowley, finally saw off a determined Welsh challenge as Ireland took a step closer to a Guinness Six Nations Triple Crown with a 27-17 win. That it took a losing bonus point away from the visitors was cruel on Steve Tandy’s side and added insult to the injury of a 15th consecutive championship loss. Yet Farrell’s men just about deserved their four tries to two victory after coming through a difficult challenge against a team dragging itself off the canvas after a miserable few years.

The try bonus was earned with four expertly constructed scores, from Jacob Stockdale and Crowley in the first half and man of the match Jack Conan shortly after the interval preceding full-back Osborne’s third try in as many matches before Crowley slotted the penalty that belatedly brought daylight between Ireland and their opponents.

In between the high points, however, there was much to concern the head coach, not least the ease which Welsh loosehead prop Rhys Carré steered his 139-kilogramme frame with ease through the Irish defensive line to score the converted try which reduced Ireland’s half-time lead to two points at 12-10.

James Botham’s 62nd minute score also made the game uncomfortably close at 19-17 and at times Ireland’s problems were just as acute with ball in hand as they overplayed in their own half and repeatedly ran into brick walls created by an aggressive, whole-hearted defence. Ireland too often ran the ball from inside their own 22 and the Irish boss acknowledged his side could have employed better game management.

“I thought we didn't exit as good as what we've done in the past,” Farrell said. “They obviously pressured Jamison (Gibson-Park) quite a bit and got some rewards from that.

“Not just that, there was an exit that we overplayed from about 25 or 30 out or whatever and you’ve just got to feel where the game's at and respect the game for what it is.

“I thought we overplayed sometimes around halfway. Sometimes you've just got to respect what the opposition are doing well and it was defending pretty well, so a bit of territory is what we needed to take the pressure off, I would have thought.”

Farrell trusts his players to recognise the lessons which need to be learned ahead of a Triple Crown and potential Six Nations title-deciding clash with a buoyant at the Aviva next Saturday.

“We'll obviously review it and talk about it, but they'll come up with it themselves,” he added. “They know the score, we've already talked about it in there anyway. That's what the lads do, they watch the game before we have the meetings anyway, so they'll be up to speed and be honest about that.”

It was a particularly educational evening for Crowley, with the fly-half not afforded the space and time he enjoyed 13 days earlier at Twickenham as Wales exerted sustained pressure on Ireland’s half-backs.

“Because the speed of ball wasn't nowhere near as quick as it as it was last week and the clear and obvious thing what they was doing was hitting in twos, slowing the ball down, almost playing up and in from the edge defence there,” Farrell explained. “And when we kept going out the back and playing off slow ball, then we're playing into their hands really. Yeah, we need to be better than that really, you know.” 

Ultimately, Farrell is content with his team’s direction of travel, his players are learning on the job while continuing to win following a chastening opening-round hammering away to France, and more of his wider squad have been exposed to the high intensity of Six Nations rugby. An Ireland debut of the bench for scrum-half Nathan Doak, first championship appearances for fellow replacements Tom Stewart, the hooker, and centre Tom Farrell and a maiden start at loosehead for converted tighthead prop Tom O’Toole have all served to deepen the experience within his playing group. The head coach has used 33 players over the first four rounds while missing a raft of injured frontliners, with Hugo Keenan, Mack Hansen, Bundee Aki, Robbie Henshaw, and three looseheads - Andrew Porter, Paddy McCarthy, Jack Boyle – unavailable.

Lock Edwin Edogbo has also made his Ireland bow, off the bench against Italy, and there has been a plethora of first Six Nations appearances, all with squad-building in mind for next year’s World Cup in Australia.

“Well, yeah, you've got to find out about people,” Farrell said. “I said it during the week, this is not freebies we're giving them. We're giving the starts or the chances out to people who deserve it.

“It just shows that the whole of the squad is hungry to be part of it and grow their squad. It's nice to feel that the whole squad thinks it's their team, you know, and they're all trying to contribute to us pushing forward.”