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26th October 2024
03:17pm BST
Ronan O'Gara has described Ireland head coach Andy Farrell as being 'not irreplaceable' and has urged the squad to step up in his absence.
The Corkman is very familiar with the pressures and responsibility of being a top-flight rugby coach. He has been the head coach at Top 14 side La Rochelle for five years and had spells at Racing 92 and Crusaders before that.
As well as the full-time job of running a rugby team, O'Gara writes a regular column for the Irish Examiner's sport section. This week, he had his say on the anxiety Irish rugby fans appear to have about Farrell's upcoming sabbatical.
The upcoming Autumn Nations Series will be the Englishman's last stand in the Aviva Stadium dugout until this time next year. Farrell will start preparations for the British & Irish Lions tour in January, with the trip to Australia scheduled for next summer.
Assistant coach Simon Easterby will step up from the backroom to lead the side through the Six Nations as well as next summer’s Tests with Georgia and Romania.
"The show always goes on," O’Gara wrote in this week's column. "Farrell might seem irreplaceable but he’s not.
"Even if things don’t go to plan on February 1st against England in Dublin, only the weak turn their heads wondering when their head coach is coming back," he added.
"The guys playing for Ireland are test match professionals – Farrell is important, but their motivation is internal, not external. When you are coaching someone like Dan Carter to win a Top 14 title, you can be sure his motivation is not to do well for the coaches!"
Farrell continued: "Easterby is his own man. The structure of the week doesn’t change, and won’t change for the Six Nations."
Ireland's run of November fixtures begins in a fortnight’s time with the showdown against New Zealand at Aviva Stadium.
Fiji, Argentina and Australia will all travel to Dublin in the following weeks.
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