PARIS – Andy Farrell has raised Irish rugby’s profile in the same way fellow Englishman Jack Charlton did for Irish football, based on a concoction of grittiness, humility and panache, according to former Ireland fly-half Tony Ward.

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.