Ireland’s Caelan Doris Praises Farrell’s Handling of Springboks’ Psychological Tactics
Ireland’s number eight Caelan Doris has lauded head coach Andy Farrell’s approach in dealing with the psychological warfare waged by the world champion Springboks during their recent test series in South Africa.
The two rugby powerhouses, currently ranked as the top two sides by World Rugby, faced off in a thrilling contest at Loftus Versfeld and Kings Park last month. Ahead of the highly anticipated series, Doris acknowledged the challenges posed by the mind games initiated by Springboks’ mentor Rassie Erasmus.
Erasmus attempted to unsettle the Irish camp by speculating about their starting lineup on social media and making further comments during pre-match press conferences. However, Farrell remained unfazed, describing the tactics as “hilarious” and “brilliant”.
The series ultimately ended in a draw, with the Boks clinching a 27-20 victory in Pretoria before Ireland sealed a stunning 25-24 win in Durban, thanks to two late drop goals from Ciaran Frawley.
Doris praised Farrell’s handling of the situation, allowing Ireland to maintain their focus on the task at hand rather than getting drawn into a war of words.
“Generally, lads don’t really look externally in terms of reading stuff, or looking at what other teams are saying,” the 26-year-old told the Irish Independent. “The way Faz (Farrell) dealt with it was definitely the best way to go about it.”
Doris also provided a fascinating insight into the physical nature of the encounters, acknowledging the need to match the Springboks’ intensity and set-piece prowess.
“When you are playing against South Africa it’s always extremely physical and you know you need to match, or go beyond them physically, if you want to win the game,” he said. “They have big men so they hit hard too, so from our view in attack you have to be nailed on in terms of your shape and having multiple options off the line to try and create a little bit of doubt so they can’t just run up and whack you.”
The series showcased the ongoing rivalry between the two rugby union heavyweights, with Doris expressing the mutual respect between the teams.
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