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Andy Farrell to reach major milestone in Springbok rematch

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Ever since Murray Kidd was abruptly removed from office and replaced by Brian Ashton, who came and went just 13 months into his six-year deal in the early throes of professionalism, longevity of service is something you associate with Ireland head coaches, despite collective Rugby World Cups failures.

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Obviously, Warren Gatland is better-known for his exploits with Wales, a relationship that has spanned 13 years across two spells. But even the Kiwi lasted 34 Tests in charge of Ireland, between 1998-2001. All of those that followed him into the job have presided over more than 50 Tests and on Saturday in Durban, Andy Farrell will join the half-centurion’s club.

Eddie O’Sullivan was appointed as Gatland’s successor in 2001 and lasted seven years in the job, taking charge for a record 78 Tests, before resigning after a poor Six Nations campaign in 2008. Declan Kidney came in and led Ireland to an elusive Grand Slam in 2009. But his overall record wasn’t impressive and after a five-year reign that saw him only win a fraction over half of his 53 Tests, the IRFU wielded the axe.

Having slipped to their lowest-ever world ranking of ninth, Ireland appointed Joe Schmidt hoping that the Kiwi would be able to translate the success he’d enjoyed with Leinster to the international stage. As we all know, it turned out to be an inspired decision.

Schmidt led Ireland to Six Nations titles in 2014, 2015 and 2018, and masterminded two historic victories over New Zealand, in addition to guiding Ireland to second in the rankings. The Kiwi left in 2019 with an impressive winning record of 72%. Farrell has not only bettered that but also took Ireland to number one in the world in 2022-23.

Andy Farrell
Andy Farrell will oversee his 50th Test as Ireland Head Coach in Durban this Saturday.

Farrell’s apprenticeship under current Wallabies boss Schmidt clearly stood him in good stead, although the journey to 50 Tests did not get off to the smoothest of starts. Narrow victories over Scotland and Wales in the first two rounds of the 2020 Six Nations appeared to be something of a false dawn as Ireland only won half of their next 10 matches. But in the 37 Tests that have followed, Ireland have only lost five more times on his watch.

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Overall, Farrell has won 39 of his 49 matches in charge of Ireland, giving him a win percentage of 79.5%. That makes him the most successful permanent head coach of Ireland in the professional era, and that’s without mentioning back-to-back Six Nations titles and an unprecedented 2-1 series win over the All Blacks in New Zealand. Next summer he will take the British & Irish Lions Down Under to Australia.

Under Farrell, the Aviva Stadium has virtually been impregnable, the Dublin venue having hosted just one defeat – the 13-15 loss to France in 2021 – since his tenure started for real with the visit of Scotland in February 2020.

Ireland have won their last 19 home matches, with only South Africa in November 2022 managing to finish within seven points of them during that spell. It’s their longest winning run at home, eclipsing the 12-game streak between 2016-18, which ended when England beat them in round one of the 2019 Six Nations during the latter stages of Schmidt’s reign.

Another standout statistic is that Ireland have only lost back-to-back once in Farrell’s time at the helm, when they suffered consecutive defeats to Wales and France at the start of the 2021 Six Nations.

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In terms of resolve, this Ireland team is a mirror image of Farrell the player, the former Rugby League Man of Steel wouldn’t tolerate anything less, so they’ll be desperate to bounce back from last week’s 27-20 loss to the Springboks in Saturday’s rematch in Durban.

Ireland’s year-by-year Test record under Farrell

2020

W 19-12 v Scotland (H)
W 24-14 v Wales (H)
L 12-24 v England (A)
W 50-17 v Italy (H)
L 27-35 v France (A)
W 32-9 v Wales (H)
L 7-18 v England (A)
W 23-10 v Georgia (H)
W 31-16 v Scotland (H)

2021

L 16-21 v Wales (A)
L 13-15 v France (H)
W 48-10 v Italy (H)
W 27-24 v Scotland (A)
W 32-18 v England (H)
W 39-31 v Japan (H)
W 71-10 v USA (H)
W 60-5 v Japan (H)
W 29-20 v New Zealand (H)
W 53-7 v Argentina (H)

2022

W 29-7 v Wales (H)
L 24-30 v France (A)
W 57-6 v Italy (H)
W 32-15 v England (A)
W 26-5 v Scotland (H)
L 19-42 v New Zealand (A)
W 23-12 v New Zealand (A)
W 32-22 v New Zealand (A)
W 19-16 v South Africa (H)
W 35-17 v Fiji (H)
W 13-10 v Australia (H)

2023

W 34-10 v Wales (A)
W 32-19 v France (H)
W 34-20 v Italy (A)
W 22-7 v Scotland (A)
W 29-16 v England (A)
W 33-17 v Italy (H)
W 29-10 v England (H)
W 17-13 v Samoa (N)
W 82-8 v Romania (N)
W 59-16 v Tonga (N)
W 13-8 v South Africa (N)
W 36-14 v Scotland (N)
L 24-28 v New Zealand (N)

2024

W 38-17 v France (A)
W 36-0 v Italy (H)
W 31-7 v Wales (H)
L 22-23 v England (A)
W 17-13 v Scotland (H)
L 20-27 v South Africa (A)

Overall
P 49, W39, D0, L10

Home
P 26, W25, D0, L1

Away
P 17, W9, D0, L8

Neutral
P 6, W5, D0, L1

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Comments

3 Comments
F
Flankly 267 days ago

I am an Ireland fan, but not at all a fan of the cynical forward play that they have adopted under Farrell.

It feels like Farrell takes after his son - very talented but happy to cheat to win. Ideally Karl Dixon gets tough about ruck misbehavior, but the Boks can't count on that. They will need a smart strategy to neutralize Irish ruck cheating.

If you want to track it, take a look at the Laws, as published by World Rugby. Read the part about binding when going the ruck, and then watch carefully to see whether Ireland ever follow the rules.

B
BeegMike 268 days ago

Those are impressive stats. You have to go as far back as 2021 to see Ireland losing two games in a row. It is going to take something special from the Boks to make that happen again.

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I
IkeaBoy 3 hours ago
Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

“Why are you so insistent on being wrong? Man United won in 2008 (beating Chelsea in the final). In 2009 Barcelona won, beating United.”

Good lad, just checking. So you’re not a bot! Chelsea bombed the 2008 final more than United won it. John Terry… couldn’t happen to a nicer fella.


“The gap between wins ignores the finals contested. 2 in 2 years with his City Triumph. The most recent put him in the elite company of managers to have won it with multiple clubs. Yet more late career success and history.”

Again - you’re not correct. City won the CL in 2023, and made the final in 2021. Those are the only two CL finals they have made.”

So the difference between 2021 and 2023 would of course be TWO YEARS. 24 months would account for 3 different seasons. They contested ECL finals twice in two years. The first in 2021 - which they lost - was still the first elite European final in the clubs then 141 year history. Explain clearly how that’s not an achievement? Guess what age he was then…


“I think your take on Gatland is pretty silly. Gatland was without Edwards in the 2013 and 2017 Lions tours and managed to do alright.”

I thought you don’t care what certain managers did 10 years ago…

Why would I address Eddie Jones? Why would he be deserving of a single sentence?


“I am aware Les Kiss has achieved great things in his career, but I don’t care what he did over ten years ago. Rugby was a different sport back then.”

So you haven’t watched even a minute of Super Rugby this year?


“lol u really need to chill out”

Simply frightful! If you’re not a bot you’re at least Gen-Z?

171 Go to comments
f
fl 4 hours ago
Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

“Pep didn’t win the ECL in 2009. It was 2008 with Barca”

Why are you so insistent on being wrong? Man United won in 2008 (beating Chelsea in the final). In 2009 Barcelona won, beating United.


“The gap between wins ignores the finals contested. 2 in 2 years with his City Triumph. The most recent put him in the elite company of managers to have won it with multiple clubs. Yet more late career success and history.”

Again - you’re not correct. City won the CL in 2023, and made the final in 2021. Those are the only two CL finals they have made. With Barcelona, Pep made the semi final four consecutive times - with City he’s managed only 3 in 8 years. This year they didn’t even make the round of 16.


To re-cap, you wrote that Pep “has gotten better with age. By every measure.” There are some measures that support what you’re saying, but the vast majority of the measures that you have highlighted actually show the opposite.


I am aware Les Kiss has achieved great things in his career, but I don’t care what he did over ten years ago. Rugby was a different sport back then.


I think your take on Gatland is pretty silly. Gatland was without Edwards in the 2013 and 2017 Lions tours and managed to do alright. You’ve also not addressed Eddie Jones.


I agree wrt Schmidt. He would ideally be retained, but it wouldn’t work to have a remote head coach. He should definitely be hired as a consultant/analyst/selector though.


“Look at the talent that would be discarded in Schmidt and Kiss if your age Nazism was applied.”

lol u really need to chill out lad. Kiss and Schmidt would both be great members of the coaching set up in 2025, but it would be ridiculous to bank on either to retain the head coach role until 2031.

171 Go to comments
I
IkeaBoy 4 hours ago
Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

Pep didn’t win the ECL in 2009. It was 2008 with Barca. The gap between wins ignores the finals contested. 2 in 2 years with his City Triumph. The most recent put him in the elite company of managers to have won it with multiple clubs. Yet more late career success and history.


His time with City - a lower win ratio compared to Bayern Munich as you say - includes a 100 PT season. A feat that will likely never be surpassed. I appreciate you don’t follow soccer too closely but even casual fans refer to the sport in ‘pre and post Pep’ terms and all because of what he has achieved and is continuing to achieve, late career. There is a reason that even U10’s play out from the back now at every level of the game. That’s also a fairly recent development.


How refreshing to return to rugby on a rugby forum.


Ireland won a long over due slam in 2009. The last embers of a golden generation was kicked on by a handful of young new players and a new senior coach. Kiss was brought in as defence coach and was the reason they won it. They’d the best defence in the game at the time. He all but invented the choke tackle. Fittingly they backed it up in the next world cup in their 2011 pool match against… Australia. The instantly iconic image of Will Genia getting rag-dolled by Stephen Ferris.


His career since has even included director of rugby positions. He would have an extremely good idea of where the game is at and where it is going in addition to governance experience and dealings. Not least in Oz were many of the players will have come via or across Rugby League pathways.


Gatland isn’t a valid coach to compare too. He only ever over-achieved and was barely schools level without Shaun Edwards at club or test level. His return to Wales simply exposed his limitations and a chaotic union. It wasn’t age.


Schmidt is open to staying involved in a remote capacity which I think deserves more attention. It would be a brain drain to lose him. He stepped in to coach the ABs in the first 2022 test against Ireland when Foster was laid out with Covid. They mullered Ireland 42-19. He was still heavily involved in the RWC 2023 quarter final. Same story.


Look at the talent that would be discarded in Schmidt and Kiss if your age Nazism was applied.

171 Go to comments
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