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24th January 2024
02:54pm GMT

"We've been in this position before, boys, where we've had an average first half. We've f***ing gone out and we've fixed f***ing problems. That's all the f***ing work we've put into the last three years, in terms of our mental f***ing skills. Okay? "We start again. We just keep winning moment after moment."We then jump to the French press conference, featuring Antoine Dupont and Fabien Galthie, after their 41-28 win over Wales. France had been hoping to retain the title they had won in 2022 and put some pressure on Ireland with their bonus point win. However, with Steward now sent off and England playing with 14 men, there is an air of acceptance and inevitability in their comments. Before that second half resumes, there is a final jump to the English dressing room, where captain Owen Farrell is urging his teammates to fight on, fully aware that Ireland may tighten further as long as the contest remains close. He declares:
"Lads there's 40 minutes. 40 minutes to f***ing go for them. "We'll deal with whatever comes our way, but this is now a f***ing bosh, straight up. Right now, let's go."The score was 10-9, after a Farrell penalty, right up until the 61st minute. The home crowd were feeling antsy, and desperately seeking a big player, or moment, to swing the tie in their favour. Ultimately, it was constant Irish pressure, phase after phase, that saw the 14 men of England wilt. Robbie Henshaw crashed over for a try that broke the game open, with further scores following for hookers Dan Sheehan and Rob Herring. One year on, the championship is back but the two men that made the speeches have moved on. Sexton retired after the 2023 World Cup, while Farrell opted to step away from Test rugby for the remainder of 2023/24 after helping England to third place at the World Cup. He will move to Racing 92, this summer, so it remains to be seen if he will ever play Test rugby for England again. *Join SportsJOE’s WhatsApp community for first access to news, sports updates, and quizzes. Click on this link to receive news and the latest sports headlines directly to your phone. You can leave the group at any time. Related articles:
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