Farrell Very Pleased With Ireland’s Win As New Caps Make An Impact
Autumn Nations Series, Aviva Stadium, Dublin 23/11/2024 Ireland vs Fiji Ireland's Cormac Izuchukwu and Gus McCarthy with their first senior Ireland caps Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan
“I thought for all sorts of reasons it was very pleasing,” said the Head Coach after a match which saw two new caps, and eight tries scored agianst a much heralded Fiji side.
“Any win at international level, you’ve got to be happy. I thought we played some really nice rugby. We were flowing there at times.
“The game was always going to be a little bit scrappy, a little bit stop-start with the nature of the breakdown, etc. Fiji were ferocious in that regard, but I thought we held our nerve pretty well.
“Execution-wise we certainly left a few out there, which we’ll be disappointed with, but I thought our discipline was a lot better, we controlled field position pretty well and were able to get a few points on the board.
One of the new caps, Gus McCarthy, made his mark with a try on debut while the other, Cormac Izuchukwu was unlucky not to score and showed his abilities in the lineout and around the pitch.
“You give people these opportunities for them to realise their own potential. It’s what they do with that experience now, that’s going to be important pushing on.
“What a story there for Gus. Two years ago, lifting the Senior Cup at Caelan’s school (Blackrock College). I thought he did a brilliant job.
“He just kept going to play 80 minutes and played the finish at number seven. Himself and his family will remember that forever.
“I was gutted for Izzy in regards to the forward pass, it was marginal, so Mack says anyway. It would have been nice for him to get over the line. I thought he was a presence, certainly in the lineout. He’s some athlete,”
Sam Prendergast, a memer of the same Ireland U-20 side as McCarthy, marked his first start on his second cap with an assured display that was marked by an early yellow card.
Ireland vs Fiji – Ireland’s Sam Prendergast and Cian Prendergast celebrate after the game – Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan
Farrell said, “I get why it is (a card) but for me he turned his back and it’s harsh enough, like, you know? I don’t know, I’ll have to have a look at it again but that’s the game, isn’t it?
“I thought he did great. I thought he was really composed. He had a few mistakes within his game but he was pulling the strings for a good while, and he was really, really composed.
“It’s tough against Fiji, you don’t know what you’re going to get at times. Certainly, the breakdown is an absolute mess at times, because they’re so ferocious there and they’re so short defensively that you can see the space but you have them shooting out from out wide, and to have the composure and play the line like he did at times, I thought it was a great showing from him,”
Ireland close out the Autumn Nations Series against Joe Schmidt’s Australia in what promises to be a wonderful celebration of the IRFU 150th Anniversary.
Farrell is relishing the game, “As you would expect me to say, the best is yet to come. It has to be.
“We’re playing against a buoyant Australian side that play some really nice rugby, but the week’s going to be a special one for us. It’s going to be a marked game for the 150th anniversary. We talk a lot about the shirt and what it means for us. It’s going to be a big week coming up,”