Farrell

Farrell was also pleased with how his more seasoned Test players stepped up after questions over their form as they supplemented headline-stealing displays from Stuart McCloskey and Rob Baloucoune.

“Caelan [Doris] was back to his best, Joe McCarthy was outstanding,” observed Farrell, who also praised player of the match Jamison Gibson-Park.

“Josh [van der Flier] was immense in that first half, wasn’t he? You know, with his line running and stuff like that.

“They know they’ve a responsibility. We said before the game, big-game players turn up and make big-team performances happen.

“They set great examples, but for the lads that I just mentioned, for Rob Baloucoune to come here and do that, you know you’re on for a good day when he’s got a poach, a turnover ball…just his belief to take people on, and for Stu to dominate at this type of level, it was a joy to see.”

With McCloskey and Baloucoune establishing themselves in the Test arena, experienced players recapturing their form and the likes of Mack Hansen, Hugo Keenan and Andrew Porter still to return from injury, Farrell’s squad suddenly seems in good shape 18 months out from the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.

“That’s the point. That’s the best part of it,” he said.

“We know that and we have to take a bit of stick along the way. I suppose a win like this gets people a little bit back on board.

“As long as we know where we’re going.”

Ireland host winless Wales on 6 March (20:10 GMT) before finishing the campaign against fellow Triple Crown chasers Scotland in Dublin on 14 March (14:10).

Head coach Andy Farrell issued an impassioned plea for “keyboard warriors to cop on and try to help” Sam Prendergast and Jack Crowley amid a “damaging” narrative about Ireland’s fly-half situation.

Crowley played every minute of Ireland’s triumphant 2024 Six Nations campaign, but Prendergast has started all but one of the seven championship games since.

Prendergast struggled in Ireland’s win over Italy in Dublin on Saturday before being replaced by Crowley, whose high-tempo display leaves Farrell with another selection headache before facing England.

Farrell said: “Do you know what, I might be talking out of school here, but in my opinion for what’s gone on over the last year or something, especially with the keyboard warriors, I think people need to ask themselves, really, sometimes, ‘Are we Irish?, ‘do we want people to do well or not?’

“Because it can be tough for these kids like, you know? It can be tough for these kids. I’ve seen it, to-ing and fro-ing with both of them, and both of them are strong characters.

“It takes a lot to break kids like that. But I’ve seen it affect people, you know? So the keyboard warriors on Twitter, or whatever you call it now, need to cop on and try and help these kids.”

He added: “It’s damaging, you know? And the more we report on the keyboard warriors, we’re giving them…you know, everyone grows a leg, and then it’s ‘let’s do a bit more of it like’.”