Farrell’s defence passes sternest test for

Joe Schmidt is Ireland’s creative Kiwi genius; Andy Farrell their notso-secret weapon.

What a tag team combination this is proving to be.

Twice in the space of 17 months, Farrell’s defensive systems have prevented the All Blacks, the world’s most efficient side, from scoring a try.

To put that feat in perspective, it has been achieved only six times in 243 tests this century.

Before this northern tour, the All Blacks had scored four or more tries in 12 consecutive outings.

Not against Farrell, the dual code international, though.

The second Lions test in Wellington, where admittedly the All Blacks battled one man down for 56 minutes, and now in Dublin, the score sheet is clean.

“He is delighted, no doubt,” New Zealander Schmidt enthused of his English assistant. “It is so seldom the All Blacks don’t score a try.”

It’s no coincidence Farrell has now been involved in four defeats of the All Blacks, the others being Ireland’s maiden victory in Chicago two years ago and England’s triumph in 2012, when Steve Hansen’s men struggled to recover from a vomiting virus.

Rush defence, not a new phenomenon, is fast becoming common against the All Blacks and evidence suggests Farrell’s blend is particularly difficult to combat.

“You get up and you form a line and you get off it, so it’s not rocket science, but it’s everyone understanding and committing to their role and trusting others will do theirs,” Schmidt said. “He’s doing a great job and I have really enjoyed working with him over the last two-and-a-half years. I’m lucky I’ve got a team behind the team who do a super job.”

On this high-stakes occasion, played in an electric atmosphere, the All Blacks argue they did, in fact, sever Ireland’s defence several times in the second half and their attacking execution failed to convert four clear try-scoring chances.

The All Blacks also put themselves under major pressure through ill discipline, giving away nine first-half penalties, and the set piece did not function as is normally expected.

But repeated uncharacteristic errors from experienced heads, captain Kieran Read and Brodie Retallick among them, summed up just how stifled and frustrated they were at times.

“They don’t give you a lot of room and they’re well drilled, so everyone knows what to do,” All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said.

“Farrell is good at organising his team to fill up the space on the park and he does that really well.”

Even when the All Blacks did get in behind the Irish, another green jersey suddenly appeared, as Ben Smith found when Beauden Barrett’s grubber was snatched from his grasp with the line open.

“They pride themselves on their defence and we were working on breaking that down,” Smith said.