Andy Farrell’s faith in his team’s abilities has proven to be valuable. The audacious final drop-kick by Ciarán Frawley in the second test that clinched the victory for Ireland showcased Andy Farrell’s liberal approach. Kudos to the substitute stand-off for successfully conquering both aims under immense stress and confronting a daunting audience. Frawley’s courage and nerve to try two drop-kicks following the Champions Cup final where he missed the ultimate kick against Toulouse are noteworthy.
Farrell empowers his team members and has confidence in their skills to adapt to the game’s demands. If that necessitates repeating a previously unsuccessful attempt, they should proceed nonetheless and accept the results. This does not imply a carte-blanche for players to do whatsoever they desire on the field, instead it’s a reassuring assertion that ‘you are capable.’
This weekend’s games in Kings Park also saw two former Irish performers taking part behind the scenes for the Springboks and England. Ex-Munster/Ireland hooker, Jerry Flannery, teamed up with the Springboks as the defence coach. Working with Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber at Munster and coaching at Harlequins in the Premiership, Flannery followed Felix Jones into the South African camp when Jones switched over to England with his two World Cup medals as part of Steve Borthwick’s team.
Jones, whose career ended in 2015 due to an injury, is also a defensive coach. Irish coaching talent appears robust at international level with leading figures such as Ronan O’Gara, Leo Cullen and Richie Murphy, getting involved with top clubs.
Elsewhere, we witnessed signs of success in the Australian project of the Wallabies coach and learned valuable lessons from Ireland’s victory over South Africa. Conor Murray, inundated with experience, might have played his final match against the Springboks.
The experienced scrumhalf, Conor Murray, faced off against the South African side for the 10th time during the match in Durban. Regarded as the most seasoned player in the history of both teams, he was outstanding on the pitch, marking his second series try. Eben Etzebeth, of the Springboks, had also encountered Ireland nine times prior to Saturday’s second Test game.
Murray’s placement in the game was somewhat fortuitous. Probe to Craig Casey by RG Snyman in the inaugural match in Pretoria meant he was sidelined and ineligible. This provided Murray – who was subbed by Caolin Blade after 58 minutes – an opportunity to step up. This could potentially be the 35-year-old’s final play against the South African team as the November series and the subsequent summer tour doesn’t sheduled to include South Africa.
However, the elephant in the room for the Irish team remains its struggle with the scrum against South Africa, despite the upbeat weekend. South Africa managed to secure at least four penalties at set piece time during the second Test, a significant concern that would’ve attracted more spotlight had it not been for Frawley’s kick-saving Ireland at the finishing line. South Africa’s Handre Pollard, their impressive outhalf who was infallible across the tee, penalized the Irish team at three different intervals directly from the scrum. Despite the generally positive results for Andy Farrell’s team, the collapsing and spinning scrum seems to be a long-term issue to be addressed before the Autumn Series.
Nonetheless, one keystone aspect of Saturday’s victory was the Irish team’s ability to maintain momentum and purpose, despite the absence of several key players. Andy Farrell was unable to field players like scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park, a frequent man of the match, Craig Casey, Mack Hansen on the wing, Bundee Aki in the centre, hooker Dan Sheehan, backrow Jack Conan and fullback Hugo Keenan, all of whom participated in the previous year’s World Cup in France. Yet, despite these losses, Ireland’s squad performance suggests a robust depth of strength.
Playing Conor Murray and Caolin Blade in Durban, Farrell displayed extreme depth in the scrumhalf cabinet, yet Ireland didn’t experience a collapse. Prior to the match, there were anxious whispers that a lack of existing rugby knowledge might hamper the possibility of an Irish triumph. However, the vital attribute of this team’s broadness was illustrated by individuals such as Jamie Osborne, Ronan Kelleher and the rest of their crew.