Andy Farrell always confident Ireland would bounce back from World Cup heartache

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell said he never doubted that his players would bounce back from the World Cup heartache in the manner they have done.

The team suffered an agonising 28-24 loss to New Zealand in the quarter-finals last October but have won three from three in the Guinness Six Nations.

That run sets up a possible championship-winning clash against England tomorrow at Twickenham, where a bonus-point victory would give Farrell's heavy favourites an unassailable lead in the table with one round to go.

After returning to club duty in November, many of the players spoke about the nature of the disappointment they suffered and how it would take them a long time to get over it.

Farrell (above) himself insisted that he had completely moved on.

"I’m over it," he told RTÉ Sport at the tournament launch in January.

And speaking to reporters yesterday before the panel flew to London, Farrell says it became clear at the team’s first meeting after the World Cup that they would be able to put it behind them.

"Well obviously you speak to individuals and you understand where people are at and everyone’s at different stages," he explained.

"But it’s up to us to make sure that we be honest with each other and get to a point where we all agree we’re all going to move on together.

"That was very evident that was going to be the case after the first meeting, after the first training session, that we’re just hungry to be the best version of ourselves and that’s always been the mantra really, so why should it change?"

Ireland opened their campaign with one of the best performances under Farrell’s watch – a 38-17 five-try rout of France in Marseille but struggled for periods in subsequent victories over Italy and Wales.

He has challenged his