PARIS — Ireland coach Andy Farrell questioned his players’ intent following their performance against France on Thursday.
Farrell is a master at giving nothing away, but it was clear what he thought after their 36-14 defeat in Paris as France ran riot at Stade de France.
Truth is, the scoreline was maybe a but generous to Ireland, given France had well-and-truly eased off when the visitors ran in back-to-back second half tries in Paris.
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The 22-0 half time deficit, Ireland’s biggest in the Six Nations after 40 minutes in 20 years, was more reflective of the French dominance.
“France were playing a different game to us in the first half, Farrell said. “We’ve got to show fight and intent, and we missed a bit of that in the first half.
“A hell of a lot of work to do before the Italy game. We need to be honest about this.”
It’s the last thing a player ever wants to hear from a coach. Words like “fight and intent” burn when they come from a man like Farrell, who chooses what he says very carefully.
But Farrell needs his players to step up.
The No.10 spot is still causing headaches. Sam Pendergast had some good touches, but some mistakes, which you could put down to inexperience, also cost them dearly.
His volley from inside his own half which didn’t find touch led to the first try before he got caught in possession to give France a scrum, from which they scored their second.
“You cannot play the game at this level without having the right intention. That’s an absolute must,” Farrell added.
“It is the first thing that has to be done on the list to make sure that it’s delivered every single time that we take the field.”
It was always going to be a period of transition for Ireland, but if Thursday is anything to go off, it might be more painful than expected. Farrell sounded the warning ahead of Italy’s visit to Dublin next week; a game that has been routine in recent years.
“We have to re-group, don’t we? Otherwise the disappointment stands for absolutely zero,” Farrell said.
“We have to be honest with each other and say it as it is, roll into work next week and make sure that this stands for something.
“We need to use it, not just individually but collectively, to make sure that we give a better showing of ourselves throughout the rest of this competition, starting with Italy next week.”
