AS IRELAND GATHER ahead of their autumn international fixtures, Andy Farrell and his squad have allowed themselves to look a little further down the line than usual.
The squad met up this morning ahead of a run of three home internationals, staring with the visit of Japan next week, before New Zealand and Argentina make the trip to Dublin later in November.
First and foremost, the ambition is to build some consistency, something which captain Johnny Sexton touched on a number of times during this morning’s virtual media event to launch the Autumn Nations Series.
“I think it’s a big series of games,” Sexton said.
Since Andy’s come in we’ve had some great performances and we’ve had some average performances, so for us it’s about getting that consistency. The level of consistency where you don’t see us going up and down, you see a standard that we want to set with Japan being first up, and then continuing that for the two games subsequently.”
Ireland head into this block of games looking to build on a run of five successive wins, but they are also aware of the bigger picture.
Two years out from the next Rugby World Cup, France 2023 is already very much on their minds.
“That’s on the horizon. We have spoken about that, that we have a two-year bloc ahead of us and how we can go into that tournament in the best place we can be and full of confidence and ready to take on the world,” Sexton continued.
We spoke about that and that bloc starts now. We want to see continuous improvement and consistency that everyone is proud of. The focus is all on Japan now to get off on the best foot possible.”
The out-half admits it’s a different way of thinking, given the squad are used to keeping their focus on the short term. The next week. The next game. The next opponent.
“Well there is a difference already because we’ve mentioned the World Cup two years out. We’ve sort of put it on the radar which we’ve never done before, certainly since I’ve been involved.
“We talked about the World Cup the summer of, and we’ve always been focused on what’s in front of us. And we still are focused on what’s in front of us but I suppose you can see through the group the young fresh faces and the younger generation coming through, and why shouldn’t it be (in our thinking) – it’s the biggest thing you can do in the game and everyone wants to get there and everyone wants to do well in it.
“It’s great to have it there in the back of your mind and it’s something to strive for because if you view it as a journey, there is always that end point that you can strive towards.”
Sexton was asked how that shift in mindset sits with him as captain.
“It’s great. You have to be open-minded enough to do things in different ways. I like it. It’s what other countries do. You can see it in their selections.
“But we have a duty that we want to win games now as well. I think every country has to find that balance. That’s not up to me, it’s up to the coaching staff.”
Sexton also confirmed that he is on track to feature against Japan on Saturday week, having overcome a hip injury sustained in Leinster’s win over Scarlets on 16 October.
“I just had a little niggle in my hip over the last couple of weeks, but good to go.
I trained yesterday, trained two days before that, and yeah, all good. So I’m ready to train tomorrow.
“We’ve got meetings today, we just met up this morning and I’ll train fully this week and next week and hopefully lead into Japan.”
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Sexton won’t be around for France 2023
@Dan Walsh: ….no but these 3 matches must be a crossroads for IRFU with AF…..reasonable to think that 3 wins are possible or at least 2 wins and be in the game up to the end with the ABs and that should be the minimum needed for AF not to have his contract up for review.
@Michael Murray: that’s ridiculous, typical Irish mentality that we need to always win these games. What we should be doing is blooming players and testing new combinations. If we lose we lose, at least we learn and players gain experience.
If Ireland go full throttle and use the tried and trusted we again learn nothing on the lead-up to another World Cup.
Not to sure what Farrell was doing at the Aviva on Saturday all he found out was that he left out a lot good players. It will be Leinster International fir this bloc so not much interest to those outside the pale
@bullfrogblues: Yep. But how cool is it that an Ireland manager has such a ‘stock’ of good players from which to choose that he inevitably leaves out some who are worth capping. It’s a problem only England and France used to have. In Ireland the teams mostly used to pick themselves as there was so often, at best, one obvious pick for each position, but not infrequently no one of international standard for some positions. Now we have an embarrassment of riches in most positions.
@bullfrogblues: He Was probably Asleep Like Ryan in The Dail Did he Watch the Munster Connaught Game
@bullfrogblues: silly comment
Time to blood Sexton replacement for least half of any future match or full time .
Who is sextons replacement?
Time to stop using Sexton. A spent force too prone to injury. Great servant but time to move on.
@Ger Murphy: a spent force he’s the best ten on the island at the minute have u not been watching games
@Gavin Delves: what games like? He’s literally played 5 Heineken cup games since the last World Cup, yet the other 10s are heavily judged on their Heineken cup performances, not really a level playing field. Taking out 1 game last year against England when the six nations was dead and buried, he hasn’t been outstanding either.
@Kohn Jeenan: watch the leinster games
@Chris Mc:
Not Jack Carty, he played a little off the cuff and set up two tries before he was told to cut it out.
Even though he play robotic game plan after that, there is no way he can play again, how could we risk it?
Carty could do a Finn Russell (3rd Lions Test), stick two fingers up to the side line and go play actual rugby… With Bundee and Robbie that would always be a danger…
@Gavin Delves: he’s only played about a dozen of them since the World Cup too, people talk a lot about the consistency of the other guys but Sexton can’t even perform inconsistently because he doesn’t even play games on a consistent basis
@Cowboy Paddy: russell? 3rd lions test? They lost that one. Sexton’s last 2 starts as a lion unbeaten v the alblacks
@Kohn Jeenan: so the answer is, no you have not been watching the games.
@Chris Mc: in 2017
@Chris Mc: His last Lions test 4 years ago?
@SPQH: ah great point you’ve made there thanks for the input but since the six nations he played 5 mins off the bench in the final against munster and 25 mins against Exeter (which they were losing when he had to go off injured).
Then he’s played 3 games this season, blowouts against much worse sides in general, and he went off injured too, show me where this great form is to suggest he should be in the squad as anything more than an experienced guy with little to no playing role who’s only there to guide younger guys, let alone captain of the whole thing probably playing all 80 mins instead of spreading minutes like was done in the six nations.
@Cowboy Paddy: told to cut it out? Your saying that a well know hot and cold outhalf played well for 10 miutes and the coach told him to stop playing well and turn into a j3 players for 70 minutes.
So when he has a poor game now is it the ghost of joe that tells him to play poorly or what?
Heres the thing if he did what he was told by joe surely joe and farrell would have played him again?
@Kohn Jeenan: so far the team he captians and leads have won 5 out of 5 say as opposed to carty who’s side have won 2 out of 5.
Sexton is history, if he’s picked for the first game he’ll be injured after 20 minutes. Same old story. Retire himself and Farrell. We’re going no place with them.
@Chris Mc: Im like a broken record Chris but out of those 5 matches I think Ross Byrne played more minutes than Johnny S if memory serves me right he played full minutes v Glasgow and Dragons and subbed in 2 more. If he is good enough for Leinster and trusted by Cullen and Lancaster surely he deserves a few games at 10 for Ireland. This guy is rarely on a losing side.
@John Brennan:
Ross plays too far back from the line, great for teams you have pummelled up front but won’t beat the better teams.
Sorry but we need 10s who have the ability to attack the line… Johnny in all fairness is great at mixing it up..
Surely Johnny wont start against the all blacks? Joey to be tested against the best ?
@Darren Mullins: to be honest Carty has been the number 1 ten so far, just needs to be given confidence in the green jersey.
@Darren Mullins: joeys not even the best 10 at munster.
@Chris Mc: no my point is surely the next person has to play against the all blacks.
Surely these 3 games and next 6 nations should be the time to experiment. Pick younger and in form players and mould the squad. This blind allegiance to past performance is ridiculous.
@David Quinlan: Carty is a very decent pro but he’s not the answer for WC2023 if we have any serious ambitions – he needs to find something a bit more special and is obviously hoping that that he’s got two under studies to Sexton that might bring that big of xfactor rather than a solid Carty
@Darren Mullins: joey are you serious he isn’t on form and you want to throw him against the all blacks lol. Lad should count himself lucky to be in the squad on current form.
Yet another retirement holiday for a 38 year old Irish captain and his cohorts. Great IRFU planning but they cannot be beaten for such consistency. It’s a running joke we’ve never EVER won a knockout match in World Cup history.
Sure keep at it lads, it’ll happen sometime. #signofmadness
@Sean O’Reilly: planning? They planned for madigan to take over from sexton, that didnt work out, then paddy jackson, they made a mess of that one, then keatley and tyler blayendael, next jj and carbury, the lobbed Carty at the world cup, ross byrne and his brother. Planning is not the issue. They even gave sexton a break in the last window and we are still no closer to our next 10
Just bring Paddy Jackson back, let everyone who has an issue just move on from it. Majority believe people deserve a second chance and he should get one too, exiled from his home is ridiculous.
@This time its personable!: Even say the IRFU noticed their mistake. That they have exiled the in form irish outhalf and only player who could take over from Sexton. They couldn’t now afford him. His contact at LI is worth nearly the same as Sextons. The IRFU can’t afford it on their own never mind two of them. Think if the IRFU asked him to return for less money he would give them a two word reply. Think the only option the IRFU would have is to apologise and make an exception to pick an overseas player who was wrongfully exiled.
@Kingshu: nobody outside of ulster wants him back. Absolute pariah, besides he is 29 will be 31 by the time of the next one. We need a fly half for the next few world cups.
@Ciaran Burke: next few? Ben Healy and Harry Byrne are too old if that’s the case never mind the rest! 31 is not old. Loads outside of Ulster want him back. Majority of rugby fans want him back. It’s those who’ve never made a mistake in their life and throw stones from their glasshouses that have the problem. It’s not rugby fans who have the problem with him