Farrell got a response from his bench, with Michael Milne, Nick Timoney, James Ryan and Jack Crowley all making strong cases to start against Italy next Saturday.<\/p>\n
However, the head coach knew he couldn\u2019t publicly stress those positives, such was the nature of their first half humiliation.<\/p>\n
More worrying, defeats like this are no longer a once-off. As pointed out by analyst Russ Petty, Ireland\u2019s last four games against top-five ranked teams are defeats by 17, 13, 11 and 22 points respectively, the latest a 36-14 hammering<\/a>.<\/p>\n The head coach (above) was asked what gives him confidence his team can close the gap that has emerged between them and the world\u2019s best.<\/p>\n “I am [confident], because I know the people that we’ve got,” he replied.<\/p>\n “I know the good people that we’ve got, the good players that are not just here but who are at home as well.<\/p>\n “I know that there’s a determined group to make sure that we are constantly up there at the top of world rugby to be able to compete. That will always be the case.”<\/p>\n As the head coach pointed out, a chastening like this is new territory for a lot of this squad.<\/p>\n Even for some of his frontliners like Caelan Doris, Dan Sheehan, Joe McCarthy and Jamison Gibson-Park, Ireland have been an elite side for most, if not all, of their Test careers. Add in some of the newer class, like Thomas Clarkson, Cian and Sam Prendergast, Tommy O\u2019Brien and Jamie Osborne (below), who would have been experiencing Stade de France for the first time.<\/p>\n If that group of players are to become the pillars of the next era in Irish rugby, defeats like Thursday have to at least give them some calluses.<\/p>\n “That has to stand to us down the line,” Farrell added.<\/p>\n “I said during the week that whatever happens it has to stand to us, because it’s another experience for a different enough group, with all the injuries, and firsts for people who are not established internationally just yet.<\/p>\n “I learned a lot about the team and the individuals. I suppose these type of occasions, these type of events are a first for quite a few of our group.<\/p>\n “Every game that you play for your country, whether it be a big win or a tough loss, there has to be a learning curve. We have to take those learnings from that.<\/p>\n “As a group and as individuals, we need to use it in the right manner and move on.”<\/p>\n \n![\"5](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0023da7c-614.jpg\"\/)
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