Win, lose or draw, there was always an argument for using the Italian game in round three as a chance to experiment. What’s more, a tilt at the title is already goosed, yet the cold reality of Ireland losing their opening two matches for the first time in 23 years has also accentuated the need to win in Rome.
That's almost certainly the way Andy Farrell will see it, as most probably would any head coach in his position. Chucking Harry Byrne in for his Test debut looks a long shot, whereas there might be a stronger case for affording Billy Burns more exposure given last Sunday was only his second Test start.
However, speaking in the aftermath of the 15-13 defeat by France, and having expressed the belief that Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton will both be available for the trip to Rome, Farrell was asked if it was a case of them being recalled to the starting line-up or affording the relatively inexperienced players more time.
“Well, we want to win,” said Farrell. “We want to win the next three games so we will pick the best side accordingly for each game.”
That did not sound like a head coach with a mind to experiment, all the more so when he outlined what can still be salvaged from the 2021 Guinness Six Nations.
“Three victories, and that’s what we expect of ourselves. We’ll have to show our character now because obviously Italy are without a win and they are at home so we will need to take that game on full steam ahead.
“Then obviously, as we saw yesterday, going to Murrayfield is no easy task at all because they [Scotland] are playing particularly well at this moment in time. They were unlucky [against Wales] and the English here for the last game is another chance to get back to the Aviva and hopefully get the right result, what we expect of ourselves here.”
Maintaining the theme, the uncapped Craig Casey was left on the bench, although that said, Jamison Gibson-Park put in a lively 80 minute shift as Farrell acknowledged when asked about the three halfbacks who were employed last Sunday.
“I thought they did really well. I thought their game management was great, especially in the first half, how they got the forwards into the game, keeping their patience, sticking to the plan. I thought they were going great and then Ross [Byrne] coming on for Billy, he got himself straight into the game.
“He obviously kicked a lovely goal and got the backline moving as well at times but I suppose if you were singling anyone out I thought Jamison was outstanding for 80 minutes. He was well in control, he was calm, he had plenty of energy and he was pretty accurate. Our kicking game was much better.”
The entire group of 50-plus, including back-up staff, returned to their homes on Sunday night after 18 days in their bio-secure bubble and will reassemble for a two-day camp on Thursday and Friday.
They’ll have much to digest, although Farrell maintained “more of our game is coming together”, adding: “It was quite pleasing in the first half the combination of game understanding bits and our set-piece and I think our breakdown has come along a helluva lot as well, getting much quicker ball.”
One of the game’s abiding themes was France’s greater ability to up a gear, which was founded in large part on their ability to break tackles or their footwork and strength to play the ball out of the tackle, as evidence by the 11-3 tally of offloads in their favour. It was something Farrell attributed to them winning the collisions albeit, he said: “It got a bit too easy from my point of view some of the time.”
France, of course, have X-factor players in the likes of Antoine Dupont and Matthieu Jalibert, creators in chief of their two tries, and the weekend’s highlights reel featured another of that ilk, the 20-year-old Welsh winger Louis Rees-Zammit.
Farrell believes Ireland have them too.
“It is something I keep talking to them about and it is something that rose up at half-time, certainly to the backs, that sometimes for all your best laid plans it can be about somebody grabbing hold of the game and making something happen.
“And have we got those players? I think we have, you see Garry Ringrose cutting through time and time again, you see Hugo [Keenan] is making good strides there, we know what Keith Earls has certainly done in the past for Ireland. Robbie [Henshaw] is in sensational form and you have Jordan [Larmour] who is able to break any defence down.
“So yeah, I think we have, but sometimes those fine margins are coming down to players like that so, hopefully, we can get them into the game more.”
