A dejected Vickery contemplates the defeat at Croke Park

Former internationals Jeremy Guscott and Will Carling both criticised Farrell's contribution at Croke Park.

But Vickery said: "In reality, Andy didn't do a great deal wrong.

"He has taken a lot of criticism and it bugs me when an individual gets singled out, it is a collective thing - we all have to take it on our shoulders."

Former England skipper Carling highlighted Farrell's perceived lack of pace, while Guscott has called for 35-year-old Mike Catt to take the number 12 shirt for the game with France on 11 March.

And World Cup-winning defence coach Phil Larder believes Farrell should move to blind-side flanker as it "has become painfully evident he is not creating enough opportunities playing in the centre".

But Vickery believes the former Great Britain rugby league international will not be affected by the comments.

What Faz has received this week from some individuals has been completely unjustified Saracens boss Alan Gaffney

"Luckily, he has the experience, and I am sure he will want to go and prove people wrong," he said.

Saracens rugby director Alan Gaffney also backed his player and has named Farrell in the starting XV for Sunday's Premiership game against Sale.

"Having extensively gone through the video of the England game, I thought Faz was one of the better England performers," said Gaffney.

"I've even spoken to some of the Irish guys and they thought he was one of England's better players.

"The key here was I looked at the game objectively which is something I'm not sure that some people have been doing.

"He did pretty well when you consider he was playing behind a pack that was dished up by the Ireland forwards.

"Nobody likes criticism but what Faz has received this week from some individuals has been completely unjustified.

"I'm amazed at the criticism."

World Cup winner Kyran Bracken was also angry with the comments saying Carling and Guscott were "headline grabbers".

"He didn't really put a foot wrong. If a pack is going backwards at a rate of knots, it always makes the nine, 10 and 12 look bad," Bracken added.

"Believe me, I know, as whenever I've been dropped by England it has always been when the pack has been under pressure."