Nov 29,2024
Andy Farrell has urged his Ireland team to produce their best performance of the Autumn Nations Series as a fitting tribute for the IRFU's 150th anniversary.
Ireland lost their opening game to New Zealand before recording wins over Argentina and Fiji.
Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies are tomorrow’s opponents in Farrell’s final match before he takes his Lions sabbatical.
"Our best performance of the autumn and maybe more, hopefully," said Farrell.
"That’s what you’re always wishing for, isn’t it, to progress. Australia are certainly progressing.
"We feel that the occasion, the importance of it, everything that we put on, trying to kick on in any type of series is enough for us to see the best of ourselves.
"The 150th anniversary is a special place for us. It’s a huge privilege for us all.
"We’ve [former Ireland and Lions out-half] Ollie Campbell coming in [Thursday] evening, presenting the one-off jerseys we’re going to use.
"So it’s a privilege for us because we talk about our history a lot in this type of position when it comes around on our shift."
Asked to assess his side’s series, Farrell, who has given first caps to Thomas Clarkson, Sam Prendergast, who starts at 10 tomorrow, Gus McCarthy and Cormac Izuchukwu, was relatively pleased.
"I think it has been good," said the 49-year-old.
"The four debutants, but it’s not just that.
"We’ve four new members of staff as well, so we are developing, growing, getting tighter together as a group.
"That has certainly been evident over the last five months. The camaraderie around the team is just the same, if not kicked on, as it should do.
"Our game, in how we’re trying to go about it, there’s a nice edge to the want to do that. Hopefully we can show that on Saturday."
Australia have beaten England and Wales on their European tour but fell to a 27-13 loss to Scotland last week.
"They’ve got their DNA back," said the Englishman, who will face the Wallabies three times next summer on the Lions tour.
"I think if you look over the history, they’ve been unbelievably difficult to play against because of that DNA.
"They’ve brought a little bit of that back with a little bit more structure as well, which probably goes hand in hand at making them a better team.
"That is probably showing in the last couple of months, of how they’ve played and that’s only going to get better. Therefore, it’s a brilliant test for us."
Schmidt, who will be without Will Skelton after the lock returned to La Rochelle, named Joseph Suaalii to start after the centre recovered from a wrist injured suffered at Murrayfield.
The 21-year-old former Rugby League star will earn his fourth cap.
"The best is yet to come, I would have thought," said Farrell, who made his name as a Wigan and Great Britain rugby league star before switching to union.
"For everyone that's seen him play league, you all know he’s a special talent.
"His idol there is Israel Folau and he certainly looks like Israel Folau in his heyday, doesn't he.
"He’s only going to get better but he’s certainly a confident kid, who backs himself and looks like he’s having a good time as well."
