Ireland's Rory Best and Simon Easterby laud 'professional' Andy Farrell
Friday 17 March 2017 15:05, UK
Ireland skipper Rory Best and forwards coach Simon Easterby have praised Andy Farrell's professionalism ahead of Saturday's clash with England.
Farrell, who will face his old employers and his son in Owen at the Aviva Stadium for the first time, joined Joe Schmidt's staff as defence coach following the 2016 Six Nations, having been dismissed from his role with England in December 2015.
Easterby thinks Farrell's knowledge of England's players will help Ireland as they look to end the visitors' 18-match winning run and hopes of a second consecutive Grand Slam.
"I think Andy [Farrell] understands their psyche, and having been in the other camp he understands maybe how they might approach an Ireland-England match," Easterby said on Friday.
"Faz is far too professional, and understands he can offer some insight with his familiarity with a lot of individual players, but that their group has moved on from when he was there.
"They have a few different coaches in. Like with Wales I know a few of their players and might have known a few of their traits, so I think we all try to offer some insight into individuals when we're working through a week depending on who we're playing against.
"And it's been no different this week with Andy and what he's been able to deliver, on top of his usual work that he puts in."
Since Farrell joined the Ireland set-up, Schmidt's side have won a test in South Africa, beaten New Zealand for the first time and also defeated Australia in November.
Best has reserved praise for the 41-year-old, lauding his impact behind the scenes at the Ireland camp and on the team shape defensively.
"Andy's very professional in his approach," said Best.
"He's given us the same delivery that he always gives us defensively, he shows us where they are going to try to attack us, how we are going to be better, and how we're going to stop them.
"And that's the way he's been since he's come in last summer, and I don't think anyone expected it to change, and it hasn't."
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