Ireland's debutant try-scorer from Friday evening, Cavin Nash, has admitted that he was nervous before the France game but claimed that Andy Farrell's words of advice helped him settle his nerves.
The Irish team recorded one of their best-ever wins after beating France 17-38 in Marseille. Scores from Tadhg Byrne, Ronan Kelleher, Jamison-Gibson Park, Dan Sheehan, and debut winger Nash ensured Ireland remained on course for another Grand Slam.
The 26-year-old Nash, who started the game due to Mack Hansen's absence, showed immense confidence to find the line in the second half but, ironically, wasn't feeling confident heading into the game. However, a one-to-one with Farrell allowed the Limerick native to enjoy the spectacle.
"I was quite nervous now, to be fair," said the Munster star.
"He just said, "Man, you need to enjoy it." He wished he enjoyed it more. And yeah, that’s what I tried to do out there, I suppose."
A lot has been made about how good the Irish team is under Farrell and his staff since his appointment in 2020. It isn't just the intricate attacking plays and tactical nous that have impressed fans and players; several players have acknowledged Farrell's management skills throughout his tenure.
During the World Cup, Ireland's Jack Conan was part of Ireland's World Cup squad for France, but before the tournament, he tore ligaments. Conan feared that he would miss the tournament, but Farrell put his fears to rest by admitting he was still part of his plans despite the injury.
Calvin Nash first try for Ireland#FRAvIRE #GuinnessM6N #SixNations #SinBinRugby #XVdeFrance #NeFaisonsXV #TeamOfUs #SixNationsRugby pic.twitter.com/rNbLiLotCy
— Sin Bin Rugby. (@sin_bin_rugby) February 2, 2024
“There was definitely a stage where I thought, "This is me; I’m cooked." Three or four weeks ago, I thought I was going home," said Conan in October.
“To get pulled aside and to say, "Look, we’re going to keep you on; we know you’re going to get better; we're going to give you the time you need," it filled me with a lot of confidence." said Conan.
“It took the edge off me a little bit.
“I was able to relax and just focus on getting better and not worry that they’re going to send me home or anything like that."
Nash has become the latest player to speak on Farrell's man-management skills in rugby. The Munster star held a chat with Farrell before the France game, and his advice was simply "be yourself."
"It opened up my eyes to how good Faz [Farrell] is with people, you know, looking out to see what way they are," he added.
"He was like, "You've been quiet this week," and I was like, "How has he spotted this?"
"It was good. I had a good chat with him. He just said, "What are you going to do in attack? What are you going to do in defence?" That kind of way. I had all the answers. So he was like, "There you go, there’s all the answers; just be yourself."
"To be honest, that made me feel way better. Yeah, it was class to be out there."
Ireland's next game will be against Italy. That game will take place on Sunday, February 11.
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