There are no shortage of reasons why Ireland are odds-on favourites to win their Six Nations opener against England in Dublin on Saturday. The world’s No 2-ranked team have won the last two Six Nations, have a settled squad, phenomenal depth and experience, players who are bang in form for their provinces. Added to which they have lost just twice at home in the Six Nations since 2013. On paper, they should really wipe the floor with Steve Borthwick’s men, who are still trying to find an identity – and a defence coach who can hack it longer than a few months.
It has been interesting, therefore, to detect just the faintest whiff of doubt wafting across the Irish Sea in recent weeks. Nothing overly dramatic. Ireland’s media and pundits are still backing their players to prevail. And not just this weekend. With both England and France visiting Dublin this year, the championship is set up for them. “I think Ireland win the tournament,” predicted former international Luke Fitzgerald on The Left Wing podcast this week, a view shared by his fellow panellists. “I think France might have the better team or squad but it’s bloody close. And I think the fixture list… being at home in an international match is massive. It’s very rare that Ireland get turned over at home.”
And yet. Fitzgerald also acknowledged there was an element of uncertainty about Ireland this year. One which can probably best be summed up in two words: Andy Farrell.
The absence of Ireland’s head coach for this tournament – the Englishman is busy on British & Irish Lions duty and (theoretically, at least) will have no say in the day-to-day running of the team – creates an intriguing dynamic for the men in green. Simon Easterby, who has been part of the coaching group going back to Joe Schmidt’s days in charge, has stepped up and should provide a safe pair of hands. Easterby knows the team and the players inside out, and they know him. And Ireland are practically on autopilot by this stage.
But the truth is the Harrogate-born, Ampleforth-educated, Wales-residing former back rower has no real experience as a head coach. If things do get tight, if Ireland do find the Curry twins hot to handle on Saturday and are under the cosh, will he be able to inspire his men? If they get turned over by England on Saturday, can he turn it around?
Even Easterby acknowledged it was a question mark. Speaking at the Six Nations launch in Rome a couple of weeks ago, he joked that his only major experience of leading teams, other than a couple of stints with Emerging Ireland, was with Cowbridge Rugby Club in Wales where his boys play. “I’ve also helped out at their school a bit,” he added, smiling. “Fred’s year group in school won the Year 10 Welsh School Cup, which was really nice, really special. You get to play in the Millennium Stadium. But honestly, I’ve kind of turned up and done a couple of things and been the waterboy. So my role was very minimal.”
Easterby stressed he was confident he would be able to build on the work that Farrell, and before him Schmidt, had done. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be in this group for 11 years now and I love my [role] as an assistant and I think I’ve worked under two great head coaches, Joe and Faz, and I’ll certainly be taking a lot of what they delivered to the team over the years on to the next six-eight weeks. But trying to put my stamp on things as well.”
Farrell there for a call but this is Easterby’s team
To what extent he will be allowed to be his own man, and pick his own players, is open to debate, though Easterby denied rugby league’s former “Man of Steel” would be an overbearing presence. “We chat,” he said of how much input Farrell would have. “But he’s focusing on the Lions now, which is great. He’s always there for a call if we need to make one. But this has to be [my team].”
By all accounts, the atmosphere he and his assistants created at last week’s training camp in Portugal was positive and relaxed. Players were seen laughing and joking and enjoying each others’ company. But like any team, Ireland have a few areas of concern heading into this Six Nations.
Firstly, their autumn form, which was underwhelming at best. Ireland’s error count – 21 in the defeat by New Zealand, 28 in the narrow win over Australia – was particularly egregious. Farrell felt that his team were caught cold by New Zealand in their first match of the autumn, and it was interesting to hear Ireland’s skills coach, Andrew Goodman, say there had been a much larger emphasis placed on skills and handling in the build-up to this tournament.
But what if there is something larger amiss? With so many of Ireland’s players hailing from Leinster, might the way in which Jacques Nienaber coaches the province now, compared with his predecessor Stuart Lancaster, be contributing to a disconnect? It is a valid question.
Secondly, Tadhg Furlong’s latest injury is a massive blow. Combined with Tom O’Toole’s absence through suspension, it means Ireland are effectively deprived of their first- and third-choice tightheads for at least a couple of games. Ireland hope to get Furlong back mid-tournament, but either way it puts a huge amount of pressure on Finlay Bealham, with twice-capped Leinster man Thomas Clarkson providing back-up from the bench.
Finally, there is the lingering question over who is going to be the long-term replacement for Johnny Sexton at fly-half. It looked as if Jack Crowley was the anointed heir. Now 21-year-old Sam Prendergast has the whip hand. It is going to be fascinating to see how the talented Leinsterman fares. Sexton was actually out in Portugal for a couple of days mentoring Ireland’s three 10s, but there is only so much wisdom he can impart. “Prendergast is still a little bit loose,” Fitzgerald noted. “He’s still only 21. So yeah, that’s definitely a risk factor.”
Overall, the mood over in Ireland heading into this Six Nations is one of cautious optimism. Ireland fans can rightly point to the way in which Dan Sheehan and James Lowe returned for Leinster last weekend, as if they had never been away, the former scoring twice against the Stormers after six months out with an ACL injury. They can point to the fact that Joe McCarthy is out this weekend, yet Easterby is still able to pair Tadhg Beirne, in career-best form, with James Ryan in the second row, and still have an embarrassment of riches in the back row. They can point to Ireland’s settled back line (fly-half aside), which is so strong Robbie Henshaw can only make the bench.
It would take a brave man to bet against the men in green. Easterby, though, acknowledged that it did feel a bit “different” this time around. “I’ve loved my time preparing for this,” he said in Rome: “I’ll come back to you in six or eight weeks to tell you whether that will continue.”
