Halfway through their four-game autumnal schedule and Ireland still haven’t found what they are looking for.
Andy Farrell’s mood is always an accurate barometer, as was evident in the head coach’s frustrated mood after a decidedly uneven 41-10 win over Japan.
Farrell was almost as subdued as the supposed 50,000-plus crowd at the Aviva Stadium, although even if 6,000 or 7,000 supporters didn’t use their tickets it was a healthy turn-out for 12.40pm kick-off.
But the performance was certainly not the confidence booster either Farrell or the team were looking for ahead of games against Australia next Saturday night and, yikes, the all-conquering South Africa a week later.
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Three times Farrell was asked if confidence was an issue and he seemed to accept this was the case, albeit without having too much sympathy for his players.
“Well, that’s our job to make sure that that’s not the case. If it is so we will address that. But I suppose, where they are at, you can have all sorts of excuses, can’t you, with start of the season and travel, jet lag, all that. But not really. It shouldn’t matter. We shouldn’t be giving ourselves that excuse if subconsciously that’s in the back of people’s minds. We need to address that really as well.
“It was almost like a Charity Shield game,” added Farrell in likening the game to a seasonal warm-up, “and that’s that shouldn’t be the case. Anytime you play for Ireland, it should be a Test match where you go out there with proper intention from the start and play your game.
“It seems that most people have had a game, so we need to get over ourselves and get on with the big boy stuff.”
[ Five things we learned from Ireland’s win over JapanOpens in new window ]
More than once Farrell talked about “feeling sorry for ourselves”, adding: “I wasn’t on the field but I could see it was as though we were suppressing ourselves. When everyone’s flying it, you can see [it] in body language, can’t you? You can see with how people move.
“We were just slowing ourselves down mentally and therefore physically as well.”
There were snapshots more than sustained passages of play indicating what Ireland are capable of, as when Jack Crowley pulled the strings and orchestrated his own try in the 20th minute with a fluid, 60m attack through five phases.
“We know that’s what we’re after,” said Farrell, before quickly refocusing on the negatives. “I mean we were forcing the pass, weren’t we? Not being patient enough at times and then not playing on the gainline sometimes, not getting our forwards into the game as much as you would have liked.
“A lot of it comes from not punching onto the ball with proper intent in the first place and getting that quick ball. We kicked a couple out of the ruck ourselves. So, it was multiple things really.”
Nor was there much in the way of mitigation. Noting Tom Farrell’s full debut and home debuts for Tommy O’Brien and Paddy McCarthy, both of whom were among Ireland’s six try scorers and eight changes in the starting XV, Farrell said: “All that emotion can get in the way sometimes and it’s up to everyone else to dig each other out and take responsibility.
“But again, it’s not always going to be flowing for you. So, these lessons are good to learn when it does feel like that. How could we not get back on track? And why? What are the reasons? And so they’re all good learnings, especially when you can get back on the horse and get away with a 41-10 win.”
As to who will be the people to drive the upturn in mood and focus this coming week, Farrell said: “Well, obviously that comes down to the team that we select as well, doesn’t it? So, yeah, some good lessons over the last couple of weeks and we all know about Australia, what they’ll be thinking about coming to the Aviva. It’s obviously a big game for Joe [Schmidt] and certainly will be for us at the same time.”
[ Caelan Doris brings a presence to captaincy which makes Ireland prosperOpens in new window ]
Australia have arrived in Dublin from Udine on the back of a second successive defeat to Italy having been deservedly beaten 26-19 on Saturday and, of course, Farrell will be renewing acquaintances and rivalry with Joe Schmidt and the wounded Wallabies barely three months on from the Lions tour.
“Everyone knows the threats they’ve got, as far as the pace and athleticism in the backline, but I think the threat is up front as well. The way they go about their business up front was a part of their game that got better throughout the [Lions] series. It’ll be a hell of a Test match, next week.
The win came at a considerable cost too, with Jamie Osborne left on the deck and clutching his shoulder when cleared out at a Japanese ruck in the 64th minute before being helped off. “Doesn’t look good, doesn’t look good. Poor lad,” admitted Farrell.
In the absence of Hugo Keenan and on the presumption that the unfortunate Osborne is ruled out of the last two games of the Autumn Nations Series, his replacement on Saturday, Jimmy O’Brien, will likely start at full-back. Jacob Stockdale is another option, as is Mack Hansen according to Farrell.
“I think Mack is progressing so we’ll see how he is,” said Farrell of the Connacht winger/full-back who has been sidelined with a recurrence of the foot problem he had on the Lions tour. “I don’t know the full story there but I know he’s progressing well. Jacob loves, by his admission, playing full-back. So, there’s options with Jimmy O’Brien as well. It’s just unfortunate for Jamie.”
Meanwhile Will Skelton’s availability for Saturday’s game is in serious doubt due to an ankle injury suffered playing for La Rochelle in their Top 14 game against Toulon which forced him off near the hour mark.
“This week Will played for the club while his country played in Italy,” La Rochelle coach Ronan O’Gara said afterwards. “He always wants to play in the big games, and he felt that this match against Toulon was one of them. For Australia, I hope he won’t miss next week.”
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has confirmed that centre Len Ikitau will be available.
