Farrell Claims “No Emotion” as He Departs Ireland for Lions Role After Victory

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell stated he set aside personal feelings as he concluded his tenure with the team, securing a challenging 22-19 victory against Australia before beginning his responsibilities with the British and Irish Lions. Farrell is temporarily stepping down from his role with Ireland to concentrate on leading the Lions’ series against the Wallabies next summer. This means he will not be present for Ireland’s Six Nations defence. The Englishman asserted he felt “no emotion” after his squad achieved the win over Joe Schmidt’s Australia. Farrell commented, “The only thing that matters is this autumn and obviously there is a bit of planning that needs to be happening,” adding, “But the Lions have been brilliant in allowing me to get on with my job. We’ll celebrate the autumn and Cian [Healy]’s 134th cap and the IRFU’s 150th anniversary well tonight and what tomorrow will bring, it will bring.” Defence coach Simon Easterby will assume leadership of the Ireland team during Farrell’s absence. Farrell’s squad displayed determination and resolve to secure their third consecutive victory, even though their performance was below standard, marked by 28 handling errors and 20 turnovers. Errors have been a recurring issue for Ireland throughout their Autumn Nations Series matches. Farrell conceded that his team’s “timing” was “off” during Saturday’s match. He elaborated, “You obviously take the positives from being down there in the right parts of the field but some of them were simple ball in hand, ball is there and they’re dropping it,” adding, “Some of it was line-out stuff. With some of it we were being a little bit fancy and not seeing the pass, just presuming that people are going to be there, so our timing was a bit off. “Our stats over the last how many years have been really good in terms of when we get in front early in the first half, our winning percentage is high. “It’s not as great when you’re losing but to be eight points down and find a way is very pleasing for us.” Joe Schmidt, who previously coached Ireland in Dublin and will be Farrell’s counterpart in next year’s Lions series, narrowly missed securing a victory upon his return to Aviva Stadium on Saturday. Schmidt, who led Ireland to three Six Nations titles over six years, took over from Eddie Jones after Australia’s disappointing World Cup performance. Although Australia’s autumn campaign concluded with consecutive losses following initial wins against England and Wales, Schmidt expressed that he is “heartened” by the advancements his squad has demonstrated in anticipation of the Lions series. When questioned about Australia’s readiness to face the Lions, his candid response was, “Maybe not yet.” He continued, “But I think and I hope our supporters and supporters of the Lions can see enough in what we’ve delivered in these last four weeks to think that they’re going to be entertained and that it’s going to be a contest.” Schmidt reiterated, “So, that’s what I’d love to see and maybe not yet. We’ve still got some work to do for sure and I felt that there were times tonight where we’ve still got some guys who’ve only played a couple of Tests and they’re still learning.” Australia’s next match is not scheduled until the summer, yet Schmidt expressed confidence that the team can sustain its unity and progress. He stated, “They’re not going to get a lot of learning as far as Test matches are concerned next year, but the Super Rugby window will be great for them to build again.” He further mentioned, “I’ve got to say the Super Rugby coaches, I talk to them often and we’re going to try to keep building that momentum.” Schmidt concluded with his aspiration: “By the time the Lions arrive, I’m hoping next July that you’ll see a Wallaby team worthy of taking them on head on.”