'I will have a conversation' - Farrell expecting contract talks soon after Six Nations campaign

Ireland ended their tournament on a high against Scotland on Saturday. 

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell and Darragh Murray of Ireland on Saturday. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

A barnstorming victory over Scotland and a Six Nations Triple Crown present the perfect bargaining chips for Andy Farrell as he begins talks with the IRFU around extending his stay as Ireland head coach beyond the 2027 World Cup.

Ireland signed off on their 2026 championship in style with a 43-21 win at Aviva Stadium on Saturday to remind the rugby world that in Farrell they have probably the best head coach in Test rugby having delivered silverware with a new-look team in the absence of several frontline players.

Saracens, where he cut his coaching teeth, and England, from whom he departed in the wake of a disastrous 2015 World Cup campaign as an assistant coach to Stuart Lancaster, are reported to be circling as they try and re-engage the former Rugby League star yet Farrell on Saturday spoke of relishing the great days his Ireland tenure has delivered since he stepped up from Joe Schmidt’s coaching team to succeed the New Zealander after the 2019 World Cup.

Days such as the last day of this Six Nations, as Ireland delivered the best performance of a campaign which has also featured a record away victory at Twickenham as part of a four-game winning run that followed a heavy opening-round defeat to France in Paris.

Farrell has not shut the door on the possibility of leaving these shores but he will not do so without first talking to the IRFU and on Saturday he said: “I will have a conversation.

“We've already spoken about having a conversation. That won't be too far away, so we'll see how that goes.” 

Talking after a memorable afternoon at a sold-out Aviva when Ireland’s supporters produced the best atmosphere for a long time and his team delivered all that was asked of them and more to run in six tries past a Scotland team also vying for a Triple Crown, Farrell conceded such days were to be treasured.

"Well, nobody wants to give those away,” he said. “I'd like to watch it though, sometimes. Walking down from the Shelbourne (hotel) and doing a bit of a pub crawl, it sounds nice to me but they are special days and it's through the lads and the staff. I mean the staff that we've got is second to none. Great people. Great at their jobs.

“As a coaching staff, I think we're getting better. We're learning about each other more. We're getting more cohesive and getting better as well. It's not just the players.” 

Those words hint at a man who wants to stick around and the straightforward question of whether he would like to stay on brought this response: "You know that I love this… There's all sorts of stuff that needs to be talked about, I've no doubt.” 

What is certain is that Farrell is committed to the cause for at least the next 18 months, having regenerated a squad missing several key frontline players through injury to a Triple Crown and second place in the championship after a difficult few months that have brought chastening defeats to New Zealand, world champions South Africa and the French.

The Ireland boss insisted his belief in his players had not been shaken by those damaging losses.

"No, honestly, when I said it after England, when I said I was genuinely not bothered whether we won or lost, it was just about growing, that's the case, like.

“It's certainly never going to be a given on a day like that under pressure and playing against a great side that that's going to happen, but we know what type of identity that we're trying to chase down as a group and that's what we need to hold ourselves true to.

“That's what matters most.” 

Indeed, Ireland’s resilience to rebound from that Stade de France setback of five weeks ago has underlined for Farrell the spirit and character of his squad and staff.

"We've had weeks like that before in regards to honesty of where we're at and what we expect of each other and you can't say things in the week and not review it and not hold each other accountable to it.

“So, a great place to be is that the coaching staff are not just holding people accountable, they're holding each other accountable and that's when you know you've got a good group.”