{"id":26738,"date":"2022-07-10T09:23:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-10T13:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=26738"},"modified":"2022-07-11T11:26:51","modified_gmt":"2022-07-11T15:26:51","slug":"farrell-the-players-back-themselves-against-anyone-after-win-in-dunedin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=26738","title":{"rendered":"Farrell: “The Players Back Themselves Against Anyone” After Win In Dunedin"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Irish ended their wait for a first away victory over the All Blacks thanks to Saturday\u2019s stunning 23-12 success in Dunedin (PA Images)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell says his history-making side \u201cback themselves against anyone\u201d after setting up a mouth-watering series decider against New Zealand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Irish ended their wait for a first away victory over the All Blacks thanks to Saturday\u2019s stunning 23-12 success in Dunedin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A milestone victory at Forsyth Barr Stadium came just seven days after the tourists were blitzed 42-19 in Auckland to leave the three-match contest tantalizingly poised at 1-1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Farrell is braced for a Kiwi backlash during next weekend\u2019s Wellington finale but insists his players return to the North Island brimming with belief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said: \u201cWe always get a response, don\u2019t we? Everyone knows that, history tells you that. We\u2019re used to it by now. We\u2019ll look forward to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve created a little bit of history for ourselves, little old Ireland, but we\u2019ve earned the right to take it to the last weekend to see what we can do in the final week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe players back themselves against anyone and the more we can keep giving them these occasions of playing the best teams in the world, the better they\u2019re going to get.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ireland benefited from playing against 14 men for much of the second Test following Angus Ta\u2019ava\u2019s 31st-minute red card, which followed fellow All Blacks Leicester Fainga\u2019anuku and Ofa Tu\u2019ungafasi being sin-binned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet they still endured some panicky moments and only led 10-7 at half-time before Andrew Porter\u2019s second try of the afternoon calmed the nerves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Farrell has been heartened by the growing composure within his ranks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI suppose the most impressive thing that we are doing pretty well at this moment in time is understanding where we\u2019re at, each moment at a time and staying calm and not getting too overawed or frustrated with errors or decisions or not executing,\u201d said the Englishman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re pretty good at trying to stay neutral and stay on task and it\u2019s helping us to play in these big games and compete.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ireland will be given an initial taste of Sky Stadium in Wellington in midweek before returning there for the decisive third Test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Farrell\u2019s fringe players are due to be given a run-out at the ground on Tuesday in the second of two tour matches against the Maori All Blacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are bigger things to think about in regard of this tour for us,\u201d said Farrell, whose second string lost 32-17 to the Maoris on June 29 in Hamilton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve some young lads in that changing room that have been inspired by these lot (the Test team), who want to get back out there again on Tuesday night and perform well against the Maoris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese lads have taken a lot of pain, that\u2019s what we\u2019ve put them under, the pressure of taking them out of their comfort zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe weeks have been totally different to what they\u2019ve been used to before because of us trying to play five games in such a short space of time and there\u2019s been no whinging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve been mentally really tough and they\u2019ll back the lads up as well to make sure they\u2019re in good form for Tuesday night.\u201d<\/p>\n

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