‘A special victory like this is there to be celebrated’
night and get a few down days because we’ve been away for 12 days, away from the families. ‘That will be good for us but in reality it’s one win, it’s one win out of one and we’ve got to be on to the next one. ‘It’s not won or lost but it’s about building on this. ‘We tend to be pretty harsh on our performances that we’ve won because we’re able to do that and make some good points so hopefully we’re able to get better because of that. ‘But the feelgood factor of a victory like that, it is one from one and it is just one from one, but at the same time it’s a special victory, it definitely is and it’s there to be celebrated, that’s for sure.’ Concerns about a post-World Cup hangover were quickly dispelled at Stade Vélodrome as rampant Ireland stuck five tries past the stunned hosts.
It was Farrell’s first win in France since he succeeded Joe Schmidt as Ireland head coach in 2019. He felt his players went into their shells during a few tough outings to Paris in recent years. But he has seen huge improvements in the mental fortitude of this group since. ‘It’s like the rest of our game, there’s no end to it, the same as the journey,’ he explained. ‘There’s no end to achieving the right mental capacity to be the best team that you can possibly be. ‘But it is something that we value as huge in our psyche because, at the end of the day, the game’s all about decision-making and it’s an emotional game, and once you make those decisions about how accurate you can be on the back of it. ‘Over the years, it’s always been about physicality and getting one over on your opposition as far as that’s concerned but being accurate with your decision-making and then being able to be accurate with your physicality because of those decisions is something that
we constantly strive to get better at. ‘But more than that, making sure that we get over ourselves and not carry it on to the next challenge is something that is tough in an environment like that, with an atmosphere and when it means so much to the group. But we’re learning that pretty quickly actually so it’s getting better. ‘Some are getting better than most but by and large we’re making good strides in that regard.’ Farrell’s decision to back the rookie trio of Joe McCarthy, Jack Crowley and Calvin Nash was vindicated. While McCarthy and Crowley have been part of Farrell’s plans for some time, Nash did not make the cut for the World Cup while the Munster wing had just one Test to his name prior to his baptism of fire in France. But Farrell felt the in-form wing made a big impression after overcoming a bout of prematch nerves leading up to the France Test. ‘It was a big week for him. ‘We had a good old chat after the captain’s run and it’s nice when people are able to be upfront and tell you exactly how they’re feeling so you can help them, there’s no point not saying anything. ‘It was a big week for him and at the start of the week, I’m sure that there was a lot that was going through his mind but, through the help of his teammates and the reassurance of what he brings to the team, he was able over the last couple of days to get himself to a point where he was able to be himself. ‘I thought he looked strong on the ball and he is strong, isn’t he? His point of difference is always chasing something down and all that stuff that doesn’t take much talent and he nearly got one in the air as well from the kick-off and that’s part of his game as well. ‘I thought he looked really assured. He’s tough. His defence was tough as well. He came off with a little bit of a dead leg there so he’ll be fine.’