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France blow Ireland away to start Six Nations title defence in style
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Andy Farrell: The 'absolute must' for Ireland after sobering Paris defeat
By Ian Cameron at Stade de France, Paris
Andy Farrell refused to pull his punches in the aftermath of Ireland’s 36-14 defeat to France in the opening game of the Guinness Six Nations on a blustering Thursday evening at the Stade de France.
The men in the green were blown away in the first half and a 20-minute purple patch in the second forty aside, never looked like threatening the result that many had predicted pre-game.
Cutting a subdued figure in the post-match press conference, Farrell conceded that Ireland cannot afford to become a team that only reacts once the damage has been done on the scoreboard.
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“You make your own luck in this game and you make your own luck by being ahead of the game in most things that are probably without the ball. I thought we certainly lost that battle in the first half. You make your own luck in things like the high balls and winning the scraps on the floor, and running through tackles and ourselves missing tackles. That’s the main part of the game, isn’t it?
“We certainly came off second best in that regard in the first half. Our response to that in the second half was a gallant response, but it’s not what we want to be, a responding team.”
“We need to show up from the get-go.”
Ireland’s dire defensive stats and inability to compete effectively in the air on a sodden night in Paris meant the visitors struggled to establish a platform, but as Farrell pointed out, the French managed to make do.
“Same for both sides (in the conditions). Some seemed to stick for the French side, and I suppose they got a bit of momentum from the scrum that they got from us not being able to win the ball, or win the 50/50s. Obviously they’ve got the players so wide to take advantage of that. They did that really well.”
Farrell refused to blame referee Karl Dickson, despite suggestions there were forward passes in the lead-up to France’s first and second tries.
“What do you say? Nowadays things are always checked. How they’re checked and not brought back is another thing for me. We fell on the wrong side of that, but it certainly wasn’t the reason why we lost the game, that’s for sure.”
“We have to regroup, don’t we? Otherwise the disappointment stands for absolutely zero. We have to be honest with each other and say it as it is, roll in to work next week and make sure that this stands for something.
“We need to use it, not just individually but collectively, to make sure that we give a better showing of ourselves throughout the rest of this competition, starting with Italy next week.”
“I learned a lot about the team and the individuals. These type of occasions, these type of events, are a first for quite a few of our group. Every game that you play for your country, whether it be a big win or a tough loss, it has to be a learning curve. We have to take the learnings from that and, as a group and as an individual, we need to use it in a in the right manner and move on.
“I felt we had the right intentions with our preparation of how we wanted to play the game. Hopefully, that does stand to us, but you cannot play the game at this level without having the right intention. That’s an absolute must. It is the first thing that has to be done on the list to make sure that it’s delivered every single time that we take the field.”
“I am confident (Ireland can close the gap) because I know the people that we’ve got. I know the good that we’ve got, the good players that are not just here but who are at home as well. I know there’s a determined group to make sure that we are constantly up there at the top of world rugby to be able to compete, and that will always be the case.”
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