Nov 24,2024
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has warned that there's even more to come from his side after they produced their best performance of the season to hammer Fiji at Aviva Stadium.
Farrell’s much-changed side scored four tries in each half as they made light work of the Pacific Islanders, giving the Six Nations champions a real confidence boost ahead of next week’s final game of the month against Australia.
"I thought for all sorts of reasons it was very pleasing," the Ireland coach said of the 52-17 win.
Farrell made seven changes to his side during the week, giving Cormac Izuchukwu and Gus McCarthy debuts, with both players impressing in their first outings in green.
Izuchukwu got in for a first-half try which was pulled back for a forward pass, while McCarthy had a hand in five of Ireland’s eight tries, one of which he scored himself.
The Leinster hooker (below) is the youngest player to feature for Ireland during Farrell’s time in charge, and the coach has been hugely impressed by his impact this month.
"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 [Hansen] 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," Farrell added.
The Ireland head coach was also effusive in his praise for Sam Prendergast, who had an eventful first start in a green shirt.
Prendergast got off to a troubling start when he was sent to the sin-bin for a head-high tackle on Fijian flanker Kitione Salawa, one that Fiji coach Mick Byrne suggested would have been a red card had the shoe been on the other foot.
"He's wearing a green jersey so it stays yellow," was the Australian's take on the incident, one that Farrell doesn't agree with.
"I get why it is [a yellow 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 [Prendergast] 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," he added.
Ireland cap off their Autumn Nations Series against Australia next Saturday, and Farrell is looking forward to connecting with Wallabies coach, and his former Ireland boss Joe Schmidt.
"He's been very quiet actually. He's been busy though. I'm sure when he lands over here we'll touch base.
"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," Farrell said.
