In comparison to the celebratory images of him among his backroom team in Twickenham, Andy Farrell cut a relieved figure after Ireland’s hard-earned 27-17 win over a rejuvenated Wales. The Irish head coach was grateful for the bonus-point win which kept his side in the title mix, which they will take to the last day next Saturday if France do not beat Scotland with a bonus point at Murrayfield on Saturday (kick-off 2.10pm).
“I actually thought Wales did fantastically well to stay in the game,” said, before reflecting on the 11th minute moment when Jack Conan’s “try” was disallowed, thus preventing Ireland from going 12-0 or 14-0 ahead.
“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.
Ireland beat a dogged Wales side under the lights at the Aviva
“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 around.
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“We weren’t playing rugby on the front foot because of how well they defended, I thought they were excellent in contact and set-piece. They could be really proud of their performance.”
The Irish head coach accepted that his side made things hard for themselves, what with 11 handling errors the concession of nine penalties, several of them inside their own 22 to add to some mounting Welsh pressure in the build-up to a couple of their scores.
“The offside is the hotbed, isn’t it, for referees at this moment in time and to keep giving them another opportunity on another opportunity; when you’re defending your own line pretty well, it gives them the territory and the feel-good factor that they’re after, there’s no doubt.
“Of course, we converted our chances pretty well a couple of weeks ago, the conversion rate in the 22. I thought we came up against a rock-solid defence who kept knocking us back and we should have just been a little bit more patient at times.
“I thought we’d get our reward from that. But I think most of the credit of how that Test match unfolded has to go to Wales because I thought they were outstanding in the way they went about the fight.
“It was a dogged Test match and that’s how these types of Test matches should be.”
Having made another five changes, as well as bringing in some fresh faces such as debutant Nathan Doak, Farrell has deliberately delved deeper into Ireland’s depth chart, which made having to dig deep for this win more pleasing.
“It doesn’t always go your own way in Test match rugby, especially when the other team turns up and plays like that,” said Farrell.
“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.”
No matter happens at Murrayfield, next Saturday’s meeting with Scotland will be Triple Crown shoot-out, although before looking ahead to that game Farrell stressed: “We need to celebrate the fact that Nathan Doak won his first cap, it’s a fantastic story, he’s a young man who has got a lot of URC caps under his belt.
“I wouldn’t say he’s been patient, because he’s been desperate to get into the room but once he got into the room he’s been excellent.
“When Jamison he got a cut on the knee there, I thought he was really composed and when he came on again he was really composed, his kicking and passing was excellent.
“He’s done really well to perform like that on his debut, he’ll continue to stay in the room. I’ve no doubt.
“Jamison’s 50th, it’s nice to get the win so we can we can celebrate that together.
“We need to make the most of the extra day, as far as recovery is concerned, then we bounce into what’s going to be a special week for us.
“Playing against Scotland, they’ll be relishing coming here I’m sure. It doesn’t get any bigger for us.”
But, turning to next week’s game, Farrell said: “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.”
While agreeing that it had been a real battle, Caelan Doris added:
“Plenty of good stuff in there as well, though. We targeted a fast start, we got the try early, the second one was obviously disallowed, and the nature of the game goes a little bit different there, but they’re a hungry side, they showed plenty of good stuff, they hit very hard, they stayed in the game.
“We didn’t convert some early chances, like I mentioned there, which potentially could have changed the narrative of the game, but definitely some good stuff in there, I think.”
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