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19th September 2024
11:48am BST
New Ireland interim coach Simon Easterby has revealed that Andy Farrell will fully step away from the rugby setup ahead of the next Six Nations campaign.
Earlier this week, the IRFU announced that Simon Easterby will step into the top job from the 1st December, and will be in charge of the team for next year's Six Nations and the summer tour of Romania and Georgia.
We're delighted to announce Simon Easterby will become Interim Ireland Men's Head Coach from 1, December 2024! 🤝#IrishRugby
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) September 17, 2024
The former flanker has been Ireland's defence coach under Farrell's management, but has now insisted that his boss will not have an overarching presence during the upcoming competitive fixtures.
Farrell was announced as the new British and Irish Lions boss for the 2025 Australia tour back in January, and will start his preparations early next year.
Speaking to the press yesterday, Easterby said: "Andy has a lot to get through in terms of the Lions. I’m sure he’d be on the end of a phone if needed, but as far as we’re concerned he’s stepping away completely and he’s leaving us to crack on and get on with it....
"He’s been fully involved in the progression and the continuity and he will be right through until the end of November and, after that, I think his focus has to switch to a massive year for him in terms of preparing for that Lions tour to Australia."
The current situation is one Ireland have never been in before, they have always been led through a Six Nations campaign by a head coach.
Wales faced this very scenario in 2013 and 2017 when Warren Gatland handed control to Rob Howley to manage the Lions.
There remains some ambiguity around whether or not another coach will be added to the management team considering they're currently a man short, and Easterby hinted that a decision will likely be made off the back of the November internationals.
"It’s something that we have chatted about briefly," he said.
"We will probably address it at the end of November after we have had a chance to work with Goody [Andrew Goodman] and address what he does but, yeah, it is certainly something we have had some conversations around.
"I also think its important we concentrate on the here and now and get through a busy few months between going to South Africa then before long we will be playing New Zealand here [at the Aviva Stadium] on a Friday night.
"We will try and work through what the coaching setup and dynamics look like at the back end of that November series and look ahead to the Six Nations then."
Yesterday, Easterby named a 33-man Emerging Ireland squad for a South African Tour in which they will play Pumas, Western Force and Cheetahs.
Forwards (18)
Aungier (Connacht); Boyle (Leinster), Culhane (Leinster), Duggan (Connacht), Edogbo (Munster), Foxe (Munster), Izuchukwu (Ulster), Jansen (Connacht), Kendellen (Munster, captain), McCarthy (Leinster), Murray (Connacht), O'Connell (Munster), O'Tighearnaigh (Leinster), Sheahan (Munster), Sheridan (Ulster), Smyth (Leinster), Soroka (Leinster), Wilson (Ulster).
Backs (15)
Bolton (Connacht), Cooney (Leinster), Coughlan (Munster), Devine (Connacht), Foley (Leinster), Gavin (Connacht), Murphy (Ulster), T O'Brien (/Leinster), S O'Brien (Munster), O'Connor (Munster), Osborne (Leinster), Postlethwaite (Ulster), Prendergast (Leinster), Russell (Leinster), Ward (Ulster/Ireland Sevens).
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