There were positives for Farrell, of course. Made to work more than expected without the ball, he said the Irish defence – which was picked apart by the All Blacks last week – was the most pleasing aspect for him in the first half.
Thanks to a strong showing from the replacements, the second half produced more fluency, while another plus came from the Ireland boss’ namesake as Tom Farrell produced a solid display on his long-awaited debut.
Farrell, 32, made his bow at outside centre on the back of strong form with Munster, six and a half years after he was first selected in the Ireland squad for the 2019 Six Nations.
“We’ve just done the presentation behind closed doors there with the players and he spoke about his journey and it’s a fantastic journey, isn’t it?,” said Andy Farrell.
“Six years ago, when he came in, he was a shadow of himself that he is today.
“The progression that we’ve seen, and this time around coming in and hitting the ground running and backing himself and showing everyone that he belongs, has been evident for everyone to see. And he’s certainly used his time differently because of the experience that he’s gained as a player over those six years.”
In contrast to the All Blacks game, Ireland finished strongly and ensured full-time smiles.
While Farrell was clearly less than enamoured with much of what he saw, he at least has a strong second half to build on as attention turns to Australia and South Africa.
But when the Wallabies come to town, he will demand the performance he didn’t get against Japan.
