Andy Farrell says he wants to see more from Ireland in their Autumn Nations Cup 3rd/4th place play-off next week, despite defeating Georgia at the Aviva Stadium.
Billy Burns’ first international try and Hugo Keenan’s third Test score helped the Men in Green to a 23-10 victory that ensured a second-place finish in Group A.
Farrell and his team will now face Scotland for third place next weekend but the head coach wants to see a big improvement following an under-par performance.
“Certainly in that second 40 it wasn’t the standard we expect of ourselves, especially playing at home,” he said.
“I thought our game was flowing a little bit in the first half (but) coming out in the second half, I just thought we didn’t have any courage in our own conviction.”
Ireland made a fast start and scored their first try in the eighth minute when Burns dotted down after a flat pass from Chris Farrell.
Georgia hit back with a spectacular try of their own, Giorgi Kveseladze weaving through several defenders from the half-way line.
Keenan scored from a brilliant Jacob Stockdale pass to reassert Ireland’s control but the second half saw just six points between the two sides and left Farrell frustrated.
“I thought Georgia thoroughly earned the right to slow our game down by being total menaces at the breakdown, and all credit to them for that but that’s not good enough from us,” added Farrell.
“If you have the courage of your own convictions then you’ll follow through with whatever it may be.
“If you’re trying to get the ball to the wide channels then let’s do it properly. Let’s make sure that there’s proper intent in our play to get it there.
“There certainly were opportunities to get it to space out wide, we just tucked and probably turned ourselves back inside on a number of occasions and got turned over at the breakdown.
“We punched onto a ball a couple of times towards the end of the game really hard and tough, and then our breakdown work was able to follow.
“Sometimes I didn’t think we had conviction with our carry as well and therefore it was able to slow our ball down.”
