Andy Farrell and his players were giving nothing away.
The Ireland defence coach is carrying out the same brief for the British & Irish Lions and was not giving anything away easily at Carton House this week.
The make up of the press pack at the Maynooth training base was Irish, in the main, with a sprinkling of English and Welsh reporters. When it was put to Farrell that Ireland’s defence had got off to ‘a rocky start’ in the Six Nations, he positively bristled.
The Scots put four tries on Ireland at Murrayfield so the reporter had a point – it was rocky enough.
“As a coach,” he was then asked, “can you share anything you learned along the way?”
“I’m not share everything,” Farrell responded.
“Anything,” countered the reporter. “I said ANYthing.”
The jovial mood around Carton House ebbed away for a few tense moments before normal, probing services resumed.
The question everyone was looking to be answered was dead-batted away – Who will be starting the opening game against New Zealand Barbarians on Saturday, June 3?
Three variants of the question came and went and the closest we got to an answer was that the starting XV will, more than likely, come from the 30 men in the Lions training camp. Farrell commented:
“We’ve got a few ideas and combinations in our head already.
“We would be a fool not to use the bulk of the players who have been training over the past couple of weeks because they have got a head start, but that’s not to say that one or two of the other guys can’t sneak their way in there.”
Hope then, albeit slim, for the likes of Conor Murray, Peter O’Mahony and CJ Stander if they want to make an early impression.
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As for whether Warren Gatland, the head coach, would be tempted to stray from his usual way of thinking and play Johnny Sexton and Owen Farrell at 10-12 and as two first receivers, Farrell gave less away.
“You’ll know the team when we announce it next week,” he remarked.
“Like any team within a series,” he added, ‘you’re not always going to show your hand. We have to get the basics right of our game and see what we stand for a little bit.
“As far as tactics and how we change things around, that’ll change from game to game.”
Tiring of that dead-end, Farrell was asked if any players had impressed him in training. In truth, we were hoping for an Irish name – any Irish name – to hook a story on. Farrell responded:
“I certainly wouldn’t point the finger at any one individual. It’s been a collective.
“I suppose, if you turn it around and you asked ‘Who has disappointed you?’, I couldn’t tell you because they’ve all been great.”
George Kruis didn’t pick up on the Irish thread either.
Asked what players impressed him in the gym or on the training pitch, the Saracens second row replied:
“Everyone. They’re top quality players of the northern hemisphere you can pick off people and take some things. You’re constantly seeing different systems and you get to understand how teams have played and what leads them into being a great side. Just keeping it as open as possible and trying to learn off them.”
Solid defence from the Lions defence coach and leading tighthead lock. The tourists are in good hands.
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