Ireland to ‘go through the right channels’ as Andy Farrell calls for ‘consistency’ with the TMO

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell felt his team were unlucky to have some calls go against them in their 27-20 loss to South Africa in Pretoria.

The highly-anticipated clash was loaded with drama and, despite later admitting the Springboks were deserved winners, Farrell was left frustrated with the TMO after a James Lowe try was disallowed and a heavy clean out that resulted in a Craig Casey concussion went unchecked.

“Consistency”

The TMO was also involved in Cheslin Kolbe’s try which came from Lowe trying to keep the ball in play after a Handre Pollard kick. The Springboks winger was on hand to pick up the pieces and Farrell was quick to praise the superstar’s efforts.

“Sometimes it goes for you and sometimes it doesn’t. You’ll make your own decision on the Craig thing,” he said.

“It’s not for me to say but I saw quite a few of them live and had a dubious thought about it but anyway, that’s life.

“We will go through the right channels and make sure we do things properly as far as those things are concerned. You’ll make of it what you want.

“We have to go through the right channels. Unlucky, lucky, that’s the game as well.

“It was a special play by Kolbe to chase that ball and it’s one of the reasons why they won the World Cup with him chasing down the kicker in France, but we were slack not backing James up.

“You’ll make your own decision on whether he still had the ball in his right hand or whether the ball hit him as he threw it back into the field and his foot was in touch.

“That’s for us all to debate. It is what it is, that is the sport, it’s difficult to referee. You just want consistency, that’s all.”

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Brave effort

It did not go Ireland’s way this time around but Farrell was pleased with the character shown to come back from 20-8.

“It had a little bit of everything, the unexpected was popping up at times and that was the game in the end. South Africa deserved to win the game, so congratulations to them,” he said.

“First half I thought we were off. I thought was gave away access for them to be able to play their game.

“Defensively we were a bit passive, certainly for the first try. But then the story of the game for me after some words at half time, I thought it was courageous at times how we defended and got ourselves into the game.

“It is the make-up of this team.

“History would say that even with the type of performance in the first half we hung on in there and we don’t go away.

“There is plenty of teams that would have been under the pump in the first half and got the game run away within the second half and we didn’t, we stayed in the fight and could’ve, should’ve, would’ve at times with some decisions that rightly or wrongly didn’t go our way.”

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