“That’s five trophies in five years,” he says missing out one (i.e it’s actually 2 x Six Nations and 4 x Triple Crowns).
2026 Guinness Six Nations Championship Round 5, Aviva Stadium, Dublin 14/3/2026
Ireland vs Scotland
Ireland’s Head Coach Andy Farrell(Image: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne)
Ireland started in the early afternoon facing a enormous task, they needed to beat Scotland and, as a matter of urgency, tack on a bonus-point too.
Six tries, Jamie Osbourne, Dan Sheehan, Robert Baloucoune, Darragh Murray and a late brace from Tommy O’Brien was mission accomplished.
The bonus-point meant England only had to win in Paris by any margin. They were leading 17–27 at half-tme by 10 points 17-27; leading by eight points 31-39 on the hour; and by a point with 10 minutes left.
And there the Red Rose were, thanks to Marcus Smith converting a Tommy Freeman try, a point ahead and with Ollie Chessum have claimed the restart, 120 seconds away from the final whistle.
Bah! Sub scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet kicks away possession, Thomas Ramos returns it with interest and two minutes later he is kicking a winning penalty.
It’s all over, France are champions, Ireland have had the rug pulled from underneath them at the last second.
Yet back in Dublin, Andy Farrell is nonetheless talking of Ireland winning in other ways, growing from a debacle in Paris on opening day to within seconds of taking the championship.
Shown the kind of form in the last four games that makes the coming 12 country Nations Championship so appetising.
Would aiming for the final or the 3/4th place final be better than never getting past the World Cup quarter-finals? Bet you life, Farrell thinks so.
“I suppose the story is that you’ve got to try and understand what it is that we’re trying to get to and what it is that we’re trying to achieve” says the Irish coach.
“There’s five more chances to do that, so they come pretty quick and fast as far as that’s concerned.
“It was amazing day here because everyone knew what it meant to us as a group to get this one over the line.
“But to do it in the fashion that we did, play really well when the pressure was on. We kept playing to the death, and that was the pleasing part.
“Because that was pretty good, pretty complete out there. We did it is, as in, because we put the pressure on ourselves, that’s something internally that we was chasing down as well.”
This leaves Ireland in buoyant form ahead of the first three Nations C’ship games, visits to Australia, Japan and New Zealand in June before hosting Argentina, Fiji and South Africa in November.
The competition has a Six Nations table and a southern hemisphere table and finishes with six finals on the last weekend in November; the table winners meet in the final, second vs second etcetera all down the line.
“We’ll see what the momentum is with the lads going back to their provinces now.
“We’ve talked about it in the changing rooms. People have had to grow for this competition.
“The lads who’ve had a sniff of it, who’ve not necessarily played today, it’s up to them to keep on competing as well, to show us that they’ve learned some lessons and everyone is fighting for a seat on the plane.”
Farrell, who is currently in preliminary talks with the IRFU about a post-RWC 2027 contract, is upbeat about his team’s ability.
“That’s five trophies in five years,” he says missing out one (i.e it’s actually 2 x Six Nations and 4 x Triple Crowns).
“I think it’s the great Wales side of the 1970s who’s done that last and what a special side that was.
“It’s something that we’re trying to make sure that we’re continuing to do, put pressure on ourselves and deliver when it matters to us. That was why we were able to put that type of performance in.
“Remember, we’ve been to these last days before and not really performed at our best even if we had won. So that’s a step in the right direction.”
As is the idea this Six Nations has been used to rebuild with an Irish record 35 players getting game time, definitely a positive.
“It 100 per cent is. You look at the bench coming on today. I thought Nick Timoney, what a tournament he has had, was immense for the 25 minutes when he came on. So that’s a lovely story.
“Stuart McCloskey must be in the running for Player of the Tournament, Jamie Osborne, Robert Baloucoune, Tommy O’Brien have taken their chances brilliantly. Tom O’Toole is just a great story.
“The confidence for Mikey (Milne) and Darragh (Murray) and people like that, for them to be trusted to perform, again, it shows that they believe that it’s their team, so they need to keep showing that.”
Meanwhile Farrell’s contract talks with the IRFU are dragging on if not being dragging out, dreaded talks about talks being mentioned.
“I will have a conversation. We’ve already spoken about having a conversation. That won’t be too far away, so we’ll see how that goes.”