Johnny who? Ireland start post-Sexton era in familiar fashion

Dublin — Ireland coach Andy Farrell made it clear he favoured continuity over any sort of reset when a new World Cup cycle beckoned, even if this one arrived after another disappointment on the biggest stage and the departure of Ireland’s biggest star.

The approach secured back-to-back Six Nations titles and was testament to Farrell’s gradual blooding over the past 18 months of the young players who stood up when the post-Johnny Sexton era arrived to make the transition fairly seamless.

Sure they went from world beaters in Paris to letting a Grand Slam slip in England and limping over the line a little against Scotland, but Ireland still won the championship by a comfortable margin without consistently hitting top gear.

It is easy to forget how large Sexton’s absence loomed over the team before the record 38-17 opening-night win over France and that they had never rebounded from any of their previous seven World Cup quarterfinal exits by winning the ensuing Six Nations.

“It’s very pleasing but it’s their responsibility to do that,” Farrell said during the tournament when asked how pleased he was at the way newcomers such as Jack Crowley, Calvin Nash, Joe McCarthy and Ciaran Frawley slotted in so easily.

“When they put the green shirt on, it’s their responsibility to understand what it takes to fill it. It’s something that you would expect to happen.”

Those comments spoke to the standards Farrell has set which certainly rubbed off on Crowley. The 24-year-old flyhalf’s game management needs some refining, but he showed little fear in putting on a jersey Sexton held for 14 unbroken years.

Injuries to Hugo Keenan, Mack Hansen and Jimmy O’Brien threatened to expose the one area in which Ireland appeared to lack depth: their back three. Nash and Frawley, a pair of relatively unheralded 26-year-olds, looked like seasoned test pros.

The emergence of 22-year-old McCarthy at lock and glimpses mainly off the bench of the next big Irish ball carrier in waiting, utility forward Ryan Baird, suggested the two could be centrepieces of the pack going forward.

Farrell’s selection of Peter O’Mahony as Sexton’s successor as captain also looked a shrewd one.

The veteran Munsterman’s tears on Saturday suggested his own retirement may be imminent, but the continuity he provided benefited Ireland and will have relieved any post-World Cup pressure from presumed long-term leader Caelan Doris.

Questions will linger over the manner of the solitary defeat and whether England provided a blueprint in how to shut down the Irish attack and nullify their big carriers, particularly after Scotland found similar success for 40 minutes on Saturday.

A mouth-watering two-Test series in SA in July should provide some of those answers.

“I sure hope so,” was Farrell’s response when asked about his players’ confidence that there was more to come, predicting the England defeat would be the best thing to happen to them.

“For some of the lads who have not been used to losing at all, they get to a point where they are actually turning up for matches thinking we’re doing it. You’re never doing it in the Six Nations. That'll be powerful for us going forward.”

Reuters