"First of all, I want to thank the board and the owners for giving me the opportunity, because it's not for everyone and I've had the opportunity. Such is the improvement Kenny's team has made - their heart-breaking defeat in Portugal in September is their only reverse in nine games - that the mood after a creditable draw at the Aviva Stadium, in which Cristiano Ronaldo missed one gilt-edge chance and was denied at the death by teenage goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, was one of disappointment rather than elation. "The northern hemisphere teams have been on fire, haven't they? Fair play to them, I thought the England, Wales and France games were fantastic to watch," Farrell said. Shane Duffy delivered a ringing endorsement of Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny as his bosses prepare to sit down to discuss his future.