Andy Farrell: ‘The best is yet to come, it has to be’

Andy Farrell has suggested that fans are in for a treat next Saturday when Ireland bring the curtain down on their 2024 Autumn Nations Series. The Irish have gradually built their performance this November, moving from a 10-point loss versus New Zealand to a three-point win over Argentina and a runaway 35-point success against Fiji.

They will now close their four-match campaign with a summit against Australia, who are coached by Joe Schmidt, the ex-Ireland boss who has rejuvenated the Wallabies in recent weeks with wins over England and Wales.

“As you would expect me to say, the best is yet to come, it has to be,” said Farrell looking ahead to the series-closing fixture at Aviva Stadium. “We are playing against a buoyant Australian side that have played some really nice rugby.

Bok lock Jean Kleyn on SA’s World Rugby Player of the Year candidates and Eben Etzebeth

Jean Kleyn is relishing every moment in the Bok camp and learning from Eben Etzebeth again as he prepares for his first Test appearance since last year’s World Cup Final.

Bok lock Jean Kleyn on SA’s World Rugby Player of the Year candidates and Eben Etzebeth

Jean Kleyn is relishing every moment in the Bok camp and learning from Eben Etzebeth again as he prepares for his first Test appearance since last year’s World Cup Final.

“The week is going to be a special one for us. It’s a marked game for the 150th anniversary. We talk a lot about the shirt and what it means to us, so it is a big week for us coming up.”

Having Schmidt in the opposing corner will add spice, not only because of his old Irish affiliation but also because Australia is the destination for the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour that will be headed up by Farrell, who is taking a sabbatical after next weekend from his Ireland job.

With Australia playing Scotland this Sunday in Edinburgh, the old pals have yet to touch base ahead of next weekend’s showdown. “He has been very quiet,” chuckled Farrell. “He has been busy, though. I’m sure when he lands over here that we will touch base.”

Ireland saw off Fiji with an eight-try performance despite making seven changes to their starting XV following the narrow hang-on against the Pumas eight days earlier.

They had two new caps in their starting side – hooker Gus McCarthy and blindside Cormac Izuchukwu – while out-half Sam Prendergast was making his first Test start following a debut off last week’s bench. Thomas Clarkson was also earning his second cap as a sub.

The Irish have been short on genuine squad strength in depth but Farrell hopes these new faces can now help to push on a team that will have assistant Simon Easterby in charge for the 2025 Guinness Six Nations.

“It’s everything, I have always said it about the competition for places – we need to give people opportunity to create that competition,” he enthused despite the loss of Jamie Osborne and Jacob Stockdale to respective adductor and hamstring injuries.

“A lot of players got a lot of potential. It’s what they do with that now and how they use it with the experience that they have just had.

“It’s pleasing, and it was like the wild west towards the end (against Fiji) as far substitutes and people playing out of position etc, but we managed that so the group grows with situations like this.

“We put a lot on the senior players to make it a special day for the obvious players, the debutants and the lads who are getting the second or third start etc, and I thought a lot of them really stood up tall. Bundee (Aki) and Robbie (Henshaw) I thought were excellent in the centre partnership.”