ANDY FARRELL rarely cuts a wistful figure, but the Ireland boss caught himself yearning for the fan experience this weekend.
Ireland host France - world No1 versus world No2 - for the clash of the Six Nations at Dublin's Aviva Stadium tomorrow.
The Test-match animal in head coach Farrell would ultimately not allow himself to be dragged away from Ireland's coaching box, but just for a moment the 47-year-old betrayed his ultra competitive nature by wishing he could attend the match as a punter.
"Everyone is looking forward to this, I've been walking around Sandymount and everyone is pumped," he said.
"You know, I wish I was walking down to the game with my mates, or my family or kids, because this is the type of game that everyone wants to be part of.
"Home advantage has to be a weapon for us, we've all got a responsibility for that."
Ireland climbed to the top of the world rankings by securing, among other triumphs, a maiden Test series win over the All Blacks in New Zealand in a fine 2022.
This story is from the February 10, 2023 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 10, 2023 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
PALACE STAR MUST SHINE QUICKLY IF HE'S TO BE ANSWER IN GERMANY
THE omissions of Jack Grealish and James Maddison from Gareth Southgate's final, 26-man squad for the European Championship were the most controversial in a fraught 24 hours which the manager described as his hardest in the job, but the absence of Harry Maguire was surely the most consequential.
Saints bid for winning Lawes send-off
THE last time Northampton won the Premiership, Fraser Dingwall and George Furbank were delirious teenage Saints fans in the Twickenham crowd.
'Rowdy' party in store as capital plays host to baseball grudge match
\"I DON'T think either club likes each other that much,\" says Dave Dombrowski of the rivalry between the Philadelphia Phillies, of which he is general manager, and the New York Mets.
The novel of the summer reminds me how the politics of hope has been strangled
FOURTEEN years ago, when David Cameron defeated Gordon Brown to usher in the new British age of chaotic, wayward Conservatism, I was still in my thirties.
Reeves is looking at new council tax bands and an income tax cut
YOU'LL tax this. Well you'll tax that. But you've got a secret tax bombshell.
Shortlist unveiled for Docklands memorial to victims of slavery
A 40-FOOT-HIGH statue of an African deity and a giant shell are on the shortlist for a memorial in Docklands to the victims of the transatlantic slave trade
Giving young people a head start
How JPMorgan Chase is helping to nurture talent and break down barriers to prestigious careers
Fears growing as island search for Mosley continues
THE search for missing TV doctor and columnist Michael Mosley resumed on the Greek island of Symi today amid growing fears for his safety.
Still going his way at 60,
I HAVE been whisked down the emergency stairs of a plush hotel overlooking Wembley Stadium.
Inside the most glamorous society wedding of the year
The Duke of Westminster is Britain's richest man under 40 and his fiancée is an enigma - from A-list guests to royal rifts and a vintage Bentley, Alice Cockerell reports on today's high-society nuptials