That first quality carried the Irish to a 17-13 victory over Scotland on March 16 to retain their Six Nations title and emulate Farrell's predecessor Joe Schmidt's side of 2014-15.
Farrell bids a temporary farewell to the Six Nations - he is the British and Irish Lions head coach for the 2025 tour of Australia - on the back of a Triple Crown in 2022, the Grand Slam in 2023 and the 2024 title.
Ward was among those who doubted Farrell's suitability as head coach after a series of disappointing performances early into his tenure after taking over following the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
He gleefully concedes he was wrong and sees 48-year-old Farrell as being as much a guiding light for rugby in Ireland as Charlton was for the Republic's football team.
This story is from the March 18, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the March 18, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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