There will be split loyalities in Simon Easterby's house today as the Ireland interim head coach heads to the Principality Stadium for his side's Six Nations clash with Wales.
The 49-year-old is filling in for Andy Farrell in the head coach role over the course of the tournament, with Farrell temporarily stepping away from his duties with Ireland to focus on preparations for this summer's British & Irish Lions tour.
Defence guru Easterby has got off to a superb start in his temporary role, helping Ireland to victory over England on the opening weekend before they also saw off Scotland in the second round of fixtures. But since that match at Murrayfield, the Irishman has seen his name linked more and more with the vacant Wales job, following the departure of Warren Gatland last week.
READ MORE: What time are the Six Nations rugby games on TV today?
READ MORE: Today's rugby news as Wales star's response 'unprintable' and young hero blown away by famous win
In the hours before Gatland's exit was officially confirmed, it emerged that Easterby was one of the frontrunners to succeed the New Zealander, with Glasgow Warriors coach Franco Smith and Leicester Tigers boss Michael Cheika also linked. However, for now at least, the Ireland boss says such suggestions are purely speculation.
"I didn't really know I had been linked," he said as he addressed the links earlier this week. "Of course there's been speculation but that's all there is, speculation. I'm not in control of that. I love it here, I'm very fortunate with the people I get to work with here. For me, it's a dream job.
"It's speculation and not something I can control. Right now this is my only focus, whatever happens in the future, in a year's time I could lose my job and in sport it's very fluid people.
"I've had no contact with the WRU," he added. "For me it's all guns blazing towards Cardiff on Saturday and making sure me and the team prepare the team the right way. Whatever happens outside of that is outside my control."
However, such a move wouldn't involve a drastic change for Easterby, who is already admired in Wales, having spent nearly all of his club career there. A flanker, he moved to Llanelli in 1999 and stayed there for over a decade as he captained the Scarlets for five consecutive seasons, playing in over 200 games and scoring 19 tries.
Easterby was actually born in Yorkshire and has an English father. But his mother is Irish and he had Irish citizenship from birth.
After calling time on his playing days in 2010 following a career that saw him win 65 caps for Ireland and two for the Lions, he then stayed with the Welsh region, firstly becoming defence coach before stepping up to the head coach role two years later.
While he bid farewell to the Scarlets in 2014 to join the Irish national set-up, Easterby is very much at home in Wales. Together with his wife, S4C and TNT Sports presenter Sarra Elgan, and two children, he lives in Cowbridge, not far from Wales' Vale training base.
He and Elgan - who has also worked for Sky Sports, ESPN and the BBC - will celebrate 20 years of marriage this year, with the presenter already having rugby in her blood as the daughter of former Neath RFC, Wales and Lions wing Elgan Rees.
Together, the couple have a daughter, Soffia, who was born in 2007 and a son, Ffredi, who was born in 2009. While Soffia is a talented hockey player, Ffredi has also shown promise of following in his father and grandfather's footsteps as a rugby player, having last year captained his school side to victory in a big final at the Principality Stadium.
Less than a week after Ireland had claimed the Six Nations title, Easterby was the water carrier for Ysgol Bro Morgannwg U15 team at the stadium. As captain of the team, Ffredi scored a crucial try to help them to victory over Haverfordwest High to win the Welsh Schools Intermediate Group Year 10 title, having also won the Year 8 title there two years earlier.
