Whether the team wins or loses this weekend’s second Test against the Springboks in Durban, there will always be an expectation that this tour’s conclusion will usher in a new era.
Even though Farrell has the greatest winning % of any Irish coach in history—even surpassing that of his predecessor Joe Schmidt—after winning 40 of the 50 games on the main schedule, there is still a sense of unease.
Even with a first Test defeat and a drawn series, developments in South Africa over the last two weeks have reinforced, not undermined, that theory.
Forgotten increasing discomfort.
It is easy to forget about Farrell’s difficult start to his Ireland career given that they are the reigning Six Nations winners and that he has been rewarded with the Lions coaching position for the journey to Australia next summer.
