‘I don’t believe that’ – Farrell on ‘underdone’ talk before All Blacks game

Ireland vs. New Zealand in the Nations Series in the autumn

Soldier Field, Chicago, Saturday, November

Before Saturday’s All Blacks Test opener against Ireland, Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has refuted claims that his side has been “underdone.”

Number eight Jack Conan will make his first appearance for the British and Irish Lions since starting all three of their Test matches over the summer, making the same number of players as Farrell’s line-up who only played once this year.

However, Farrell, who has returned to the Ireland hotseat after taking a break from his Lions, says that if you’re mentally strong, your body will follow.

In a conversation about how their game time was before Saturday’s Soldier Field rematch, he said, “It’s irrelevant.”

You guys have spoken about some of the guys’ performances in Leinster v. Munster, some of whom hit it big. They are mentally prepared to perform best.

When they arrive for camp and understand what they are upholding and what the shirt means, it seems to concentrate their minds a lot more. You must still demonstrate it in public.

As Ireland coach, Farrell has lost the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final and the November Test in Dublin last year, but has also lost the previous two.

Ireland’s first home defeat since 2021 was caused by a poor performance in the latter, and Farrell wants to see an improvement from his side, who admitted to having “failed to come to the party” “12 months ago.”

He said, “We got a backlash as far as winning the next three games, which almost seems like it happened.”

I’m not going to deny that we were outstanding, but we did a good job of getting the job done. The 150thIRFU anniversary game against Australia was a significant occasion for us.

However, I pondered whether you can accept all the excuses out there for free and let them drown you, or you can accept them for what they are and try to be as good as you can be early on.

With the Leinster prop having earned a spot on the bench, Paddy McCarthy will be the only potential Ireland debutant on Saturday.

McCarthy, the younger brother of lock Joe McCarthy, was a unused summer squadr for Ireland under interim head coach Paul O’Connell, but Farrell claimed the 22-year-old has been on his radar since impressing for the under-20s in a training session against the first team in 2023.

The 50-year-old said, “We train against the Under-20s so we know who is passing.”

Do you want to train against them this year, I’m asked. ‘. Imagine that you didn’t get to practice against the first team like the other team did every year. It’s a strange custom.

He frequently ruined our session, but there is something about him that few people have.

Dan Sheehan, who previously led the team against Wales in this year’s Six Nations, will take over as Ireland’s captain with Caelan Doris returning from shoulder surgery on the bench.

Sheehan also served as captain for the British and Irish Lions’ game against Western Force in June, according to Farrell, who noted how the 27-year-old hooker has “developed as a leader” and “developed as a leader.”

He is “so composed, self-assured, and a good man.” He communicates to everyone else that he is in charge through his body language. That it will be acceptable, so let’s just do the preparation.