Farrell focuses on the positives but Ireland must beware ghosts of Paris Andy Bull
over 3 years in The guardian
The Ireland coach knows his team will be back at the Stade de France next year for key World Cup games – he needs his team to build on this weekend, not be knocked back by itThe game was only just over, and Andy Farrell was already brooding on exactly where it had gone wrong. Listening to him, you guess his Ireland team, who did so well to fight their way back into the match after being 22-7 down, are going to have a long week picking over the bones of their 30-24 defeat.Farrell was particularly keen to focus on how France had stifled Ireland at the breakdown. There was the sloppy start, too, which left them 10 points down in seven minutes, and, at the other end of the game, the question of whether they were right to kick their last penalty when they were six points back, and had already scored twice from attacking lineouts. Continue reading...