Farrell's harsh reality check after New Zealand defeat
SPOTLIGHT: Ireland head coach Andy Farrell was served a harsh reality check following his team’s 13-26 defeat to New Zealand at Soldier Field in Chicago.
Ireland looked well on their way to repeat their 2016 heroics when they defeated New Zealand for the first time in history at the same venue. However, Farrell’s side conceded 13 unanswered points following flyhalf Jack Crowley’s 51st-minute penalty.
The script didn’t turn out to be their fairytale with New Zealand finishing as the stronger team and ultimately convincing winners.
Farrell took the result on the chin and dismissed any claims of his team not being match fit as they return home to face Japan at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
“There are no excuses from here on,” Farrell said.
“I get all you guys talking, it’s just common sense, isn’t it, what you’re talking about as far as match sharpness and the start of the season and all of that, but that’s been and gone now, we need to buckle down.”
He added: “If we can’t stand up to that challenge, then we shouldn’t be here anyway.
“We know how important the November series is to us, particularly this next game now.
“It becomes really important if you look at the significance of world ranking points and all that, playing against a side like Japan, it becomes massively important, so it’s about being honest with each other and making sure that we learn from that.
“You can talk about any type of journey. There’s always going to be ups and downs.
“It’s how you learn from the disappointments properly that will catch you and kick you on.”
Farrell also has a selection headache at flyhalf after a mixed display by Crowley against the All Blacks before being replaced by Sam Prendergast.
“I thought he [Crowley] controlled the game pretty well,” said Farrell.
“Accuracy and a few bits [could be improved], but good decision-making. The crossfield kick into touch, I said to him at half-time, ‘good decision’.
“It was just execution. I thought he tactically played the game pretty well. He’ll be better for it.”
The Ireland boss is also sweating on the availability of centre Stuart McCloskey, who went off during the second half with a groin injury.
“He went very well. He was a handful, wasn’t he? It was a shame that he came off with a bit of a groin soreness.
“How that develops, we’ll wait and see, but he had a strong game.”
With additional reporting by @BBC
