Farrell not happy with ‘underwhelming’ display
...but the fact we are still asking the Sexton back-up question is worrying
IRELAND head coach Andy Farrell admitted there were ‘no excuses’ for yesterday’s poor display in the 35-17 win over Fiji, with the under-par hosts failing to back up last week’s stirring performance against the Springboks.
Farrell made eight changes to his starting line-up with Jeremy Loughman making his Test debut while Jack Crowley and Cian Prendergast won their first caps from the bench.
Ireland scored five tries — with Nick Timoney bagging a brace in an impressive shift — but their performance was littered with errors against an indisciplined Fijian side who had flanker Albert Tuisue sent off as well as two further yellow cards for his teammates.
And Farrell was frustrated by Ireland’s failure to produce a more convincing display.
‘No excuse whatsoever because we are a squad and we have all been in camp the same length of time, and we are all learning together and yeah, there are no excuses there,’ the Ireland coach said.
‘Our start obviously wasn’t the best. Fast forward to the last play, us kicking the ball out against 14 men with the scrum ready to play when the game is already won probably sums the game up.’
Farrell is set to ring the changes ahead of the visit of Australia, who lost to Italy yesterday, but the Ireland boss has a host of injury concerns after Robbie Henshaw, Joey Carbery and Jimmy O’Brien all left the field against Fiji, while it remains to be seen if Andrew Porter, James Ryan, Johnny Sexton and Hugo Keenan will be fit for the autumn international finale. Bundee Aki is set to come back into the selection equation, however, with the Connacht centre’s ban coming to an end.
But this display will concern Farrell and his coaches.
‘For us, as far as the performance is concerned, pretty underwhelming,’ Farrell admitted.
PICTURE the scene. It’s a beautiful evening in Nantes and Stade de la Beaujoire is a sea of green as Ireland take to the field for their Pool B meeting with Tonga.
Andy Farrell’s starting line-up for that assignment might look familiar to the crew which took on the Fijians in Dublin yesterday. Ireland will face the Springboks at Stade de France just seven days after what will be a punishing game against the Tongans. No doubt, Farrell will be keeping a host of frontliners out of harm’s way for that one. Just like yesterday, really.
Provided they are fit and board the flight to Paris next September, the likes of Tadhg Furlong, Tadhg Beirne, Josh van der Flier, Johnny Sexton and a few other big names will be sitting in the stands.
There’s no way Sexton will be put in the firing line against the toughtackling Tongans, with pivotal meetings against South Africa and Scotland just around the corner.
Will Ireland still be leaning as heavily on Sexton in 10 months’ time? It’s highly likely. The veteran Leinster No10’s master plan to make it to one last World Cup at age 38 is nearing completion.
The big question is who has the right stuff to step up and take Sexton’s place if the captain goes to ground during the tournament, a scenario which transpired in 2015 and 2019 when Ian Madigan and Jack Carty were both thrust into the spotlight, only to look utterly lost in the glare.
Perhaps Jack Crowley is the answer? You wouldn’t have known that yesterday was his Test debut.
Barely mapped on Johann van Graan’s watch, Crowley attracted the attention of Ronan O’Gara at La Rochelle before opting to stay put and fight for his place with Munster.
O’Gara clearly saw something in this young out-half. Farrell clearly does too. Crowley has barely 20 senior appearances for Munster to his name and Ben Healy and Joey Carbery are seemingly ahead in the provincial pecking order, but he could be a set for a huge season on national duty. His current form almost single-handedly justified the divisive Emerging Ireland tour.
Farrell has exhausted so many out-half options at this stage. Billy Burns and Ross Byrne had fleeting moments before drifting into obscurity. Carty has seemingly never fit the bill. Harry Byrne can’t put two games together. Ciarán Frawley, for all his recent progress, has a worrying injury profile as well. Then there’s Carbery, who has yet to fully ignite.
He was solid here. No clangers, but nothing spectacular either. A sickening late hit from Fiji flanker Albert Tuisue – who was duly sent off – ended his afternoon just six minutes into the second half. There is a nagging feeling that he is playing within himself. He is playing far too deep as well.
Crowley duly stepped in for an eye-catching cameo. Are the stars aligning for this Munster starlet?
He could be doing a job for Ireland in Nantes next year. As things stand, he looks the most equipped to step up for Sexton if the unthinkable happens.
Which brings us back to that meeting with Tonga. The thing about Ireland’s looming pool opponents is they have unearthed a few worldclass game breakers thanks to World Rugby’s eligibility laws. Tonga are likely to have exiled Wallaby Israel Folau, Munster midfielder Malakai Fekitoa and Bristol sensation Charles Piutau in their ranks.
A crew who will cause Ireland no shortage of headaches in the outside channels. This experimental Ireland side has plenty of issues yesterday, and the ease with which the Fijian backs outflanked the hosts for Kalaveti Ravouvou’s early try will remain with Farrell and defence coach Simon Easterby for quite some time.
The Tonga game won’t be a walk in the park. It will be messy and frenetic, just like yesterday’s Aviva Stadium. How much did Farrell learn from this clash with the Fijians?
It’s always hard to know in November. World Cup cycles don’t suit teams who have to sources their players from across the globe. Fiji’s matchday squad featured players who travelled from places like, Queensland, Brive and Edinburgh
Carbery was solid, there were no clangers but nothing special either
to take up national duty.
Like Argentina, Japan and their fellow Pacific Island brethren, the World Cup is where these minnows tend to make their mark. The game is littered with warnings from history when these island nations ambushed a global heavyweight. Samoa did it to Wales. So did Fiji. Tonga tuned over France in Wellington in 2011 in the pool stages, a team which eventually made it to the final at Eden Park, lest we forget.
All the focus will be on the socalled crucial pool meetings with the Boks and the Scots, but that Tonga fixture has banana skin written all over it.
So, Farrell needs to know that his fringe players are up to the task.
He found out a bit about a few of them yesterday.
Nick Timoney showed up well. The Ulster flanker oozes physicality on both sides of the ball and he has a serious engine.
This was more like it from the Dubliner after a relatively quiet showing against New Zealand A side at the RDS last week.
If we’re talking about midweek foot soldiers who can front up in messy (and physical) pool games than Kieran Treadwell is starting to fit that bill. The Ulster lock has surged up the second row pecking order over the last 12 months. There is still room for a bolter in 2023 and Tom Ahern, Joe McCarthy or even Edwin Edogbo (raw but full of potential) could make a late charge for the big one in France. Don’t rule out Ryan Baird if Leinster’s talented young forward can string a run of games together. For now, Treadwell is sitting just below James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne (excellent again yesterday) and a fully-fit Iain Henderson in the lock stocks.
Farrell clearly saw something in Treadwell. He hasn’t been a nailedon starter on Dan McFarland’s watch, but the Ireland management think he has the physical profile for the rigours of Test rugby. The sight of Levani Botia bouncing off a charging Treadwell in the first half was telling. He could come in very handy in the pool stages.
An out-half with the presence and authority to ride shotgun behind Sexton would also be most welcome. Amidst all the chaos during yesterday’s frantic performance, Jack the lad made his case for further inclusion.