The Hangover – Part II
Spectre of World Cup failure continues to loom over Ireland ahead of Six Nations
THE Guinness Storehouse was a fitting setting for yesterday’s Six Nations launch. The brewery located in the heart of Dublin city churns out endless kegs of the black stuff. Many a hangover has its origins in what is created in this impressive structure.
And there is still a feeling that Andy Farrell’s squad are recovering from the effects of what transpired in France way back in October. That quarter-final defeat at the hands of the All Blacks may feel like a life time ago for most of the fanbase, as attention now turns to the looming championship.
But it remains to be seen how the Irish players react. Farrell revealed yesterday that the first World Cup debrief would take place yesterday. Almost four months after that gut-wrenching loss at Stade de France.
Maybe the players needed all that time to digest what happened and, crucially, move on from it.
Dissecting what went wrong with clear heads seems like a logical move but you can’t escape the feeling that the ill-effects are still lingering.
It’s taken a long time for the players to get past what happened. Farrell was adamant yesterday he has done the same.
‘I’m over it,’ the Ireland head coach stated emphatically.
‘I don’t buy into either, is it bittersweet, everything that went on as far as the feeling within the World Cup. I was unbelievably proud of how we connected with our fans and did it together.’
We’re not convinced. And the ‘we lost, but we won’ line which has been trotted out by a few players in recent months doesn’t wash either.
Because Farrell’s squad, after a stellar 24 months, were primed to do something special in France. The series win in New Zealand, the Grand Slam and a brace of wins against the world champions — including a statement win in the pool stages — suggested Ireland were on course to (finally) do something noteworthy on the biggest stage of all.
Then it all came unstuck against New Zealand. Are we being a little harsh? But for Jordie Barrett’s last-ditch tackle on Ronan Kelleher, the narrative could be completely different.
In truth, this squad knows they didn’t hit top gear on the day which really mattered. No one in the matchday squad played to their potential.
The tenacity and sheer bloodymindedness (hallmarks of Farrell’s Ireland) got them back in to the game but they never put a resurgent, but vulnerable, All Blacks
“Are we doomed to repeat past mistakes?”
team under enough pressure.
For a team which lorded it over them in that memorable summer series, the men in black weren’t put under enough pressure. They never had to deal with the demons of Dunedin and Wellington. Ireland were always playing catch-up in a game which always seemed to be getting away from them.
Whether it was tactics, preparation or the emotional pitch of the occasion, Ireland got something drastically wrong in the lead-up to that game. Did some top players rack up too many minutes? Did age catch up with a few of the veterans? There were certainly issues with the set-piece and defensive system.
Lessons to be learned ahead of 2027. But will they be heeded? In these pages a few weeks ago, we called for a ripping up the previous script and a move away from the short-term approach which has dogged the national team for generations.
The Six Nations is sacrosanct, we keep hearing. Farrell has every right to defend the title, apparently. Experimentation and longterm planning can wait, we are repeatedly told.
Farrell reaffirmed that stance yesterday.
‘Is this a new start? It’s not, because of everything we have been through.
‘We want to continue to grow, we want to continue to evolve our game, and you don’t do that by just cutting the legs off it and going again.
‘Competition for places is premium, and it has to stay that way, so this is the start of a new Six Nations.
‘I don’t buy into the four-year cycle that tends to come around when World Cups are finished.’
Farrell has earned the right to do things his way. No one will argue with that. But the ‘business as usual’ approach has not served Ireland well when it really matters.
Are we doomed to repeat the mistakes of World Cups past? Here we were, on the fifth floor of St James’s Gate, speaking to a newlyappointed captain who had given serious thought to hanging up his boots after the World Cup.
Another warhorse who has decided to press on. A bit of deja vu? It’s eerily similar to the cir
cumstances surrounding Rory Best and Johnny Sexton in previous World Cup cycles.
Farrell should be proud of the progress this squad has made and they are primed to mount a big challenge at the forthcoming championship.
This was the time to make a statement, however. It was instructive to see all the other coaches and captains up close yesterday.
All the other competitors seemed to have drawn a line in the sand. There are new captains, new players, new assistant coaches and a feeling of freshness in the rival camps.
Ireland, meanwhile, have backed virtually the same group (barring retirements and injuries) which reached the end of a cycle at the last World Cup.
It it ain’t broke, don’t fix it seems to be Farrell’s stance. But there were cracks exposed in that All Blacks defeat and there were systemic issues long before that galling quarter-final loss.
This was a chance to turn the page and take this squad in a new direction but Farrell has decided to stay the course. He is refusing to look too far ahead.
‘I’ve had plenty of experiences of that and not just the rugby scene but in general we learn in sport to completely cut the legs off something and starting again can damage not just the team but the individuals within that,’ he reemphasised at one point.
‘So dealing with it here and now
“Andy Farrell
refuses to look too far ahead”
and the medium term is very important to be able to fix the long term in good shape, in my opinion. That’s my experience of it over the years.’
The fear is we’ll be having the same conversations after the next World Cup in Australia, however. Farrell may not believe in four-year cycles but there has been depressingly familiar outcome for the past 36 years. This hangover isn’t going away any time soon.