The Six Nations have been a testament to the Ireland head coach’s management skills and his understanding of how to help his players handle defeat
Ten minutes to play in the World Cup quarter-final last autumn, and Tadhg Beirne leaps to gather Ronan Kelleher’s throw; nine and 30 seconds, and Beirne, Kelleher, and the rest of the Irish forwards are driving together towards New Zealand’s try-line; nine left exactly, and the All Black pack has split under the pressure, and Ronan Kelleher’s driving ahead and diving over the try-line, Conor Murray riding behind him, pushing him on into Jordie Barrett’s tackle. As the three of them go down to the ground, Barrett grips Kelleher’s midriff, pulls him up, away from the turf, and flips him around just before he can get the ball down.
The replays show Kelleher was only three inches away from scoring that try, giving Ireland a one-point lead and a shot at the conversion too. Ireland’s last good chance came and went in that moment. They ended up losing by four, 28-24. Four years of work turned on a margin the length of a blade of grass. So it goes. Ireland have made it to the World Cup quarter-finals eight times, and lost every one, in every which way. They were pipped in the final minutes 19-18 by Australia in 1991, when Michael Lynagh scored in the corner, and ripped apart by New Zealand 46-14 in 2019, when the All Blacks put seven past them.
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Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/mar/08/andy-farrell-tactician-analyst-leader-and-the-master-at-bouncing-back
Author : Andy Bull
Publish date : 2024-03-08 15:34:37
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