EMERGING IRELAND HEAD coach Simon Easterby said that the national team coaching staff made “compromises” in order to avoid causing complete disruption to the provinces with their 35-man squad to travel to South Africa in two weekends’ time.
The final Emerging Ireland squad includes four previously-capped internationals, a trio of fringe players who were involved against the Māori All Blacks during the summer, and a large group of younger players who aren’t first-choice for their provinces yet.
The squad is made up of 11 Leinster players, 10 from Munster, a nine-strong Ulster contingent, and five from Connacht. Some provinces will perhaps feel more affected than others – Ulster have lost six backs, all of whom could well have featured in the URC during the period of this tour to South Africa.
However, there are also some talented younger Irish players absent from the group and Easterby said that the Ireland coaches had tried to work with the provinces to ensure there wasn’t complete upheaval to their best-laid plans.
Nonetheless, it is understood that there has been plenty of friction between the IRFU and the provinces over the timing of this tour, with questions raised over the quality of the opposition – the Griquas, Pumas, and Cheetahs – as well as the fact that Ireland head coach Andy Farrell won’t be travelling.
“There’s been dialogue right through with Andy and the provincial coaches in particular, discussing players, discussing their needs, our needs,” said Easterby earlier today.
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“There have been compromises, there have been some selections that the provinces will feel are better suited with them, but there are also players who we feel are better suited at this moment in time, exposing them to our environment.
Easterby is the Emerging Ireland head coach.
“Looking at the bigger picture, the short to longer term is that this year presents itself with not just the three games in South Africa, but there’s an Ireland A game against a New Zealand XV in the autumn, three Tests in the autumn, the Six Nations and then the pre-World Cup warm-ups.
“So there’s not that many opportunities to expose players to the environment and find out a little bit more about certain players. With that in mind, we also have to feel like we’re not ripping the heart out of the provinces and taking too many players in one position.
“I’m sure there will be discussions along the way, injuries will inevitably happen throughout the next couple of weeks, and we have to be ready to be flexible and compromise as the provinces have in allowing us to select this team.”
Asked to explain why this Emerging Ireland tour was happening in the first place, Easterby pointed to the Irish coaching staff’s desire to build greater depth in their player pool.
“We’re nearly a year out from playing our first game in Rugby World Cup 2023, and we know that we have a real good strong core group of players that have been with us for a number of years, but we have to try and grow the depth and look further into the talent pool.
“This is a real opportunity to build some continuity for some of those players who were with us in New Zealand for the Māori games and spent time with us in the environment there, but also bring back a few players who have been out of the system for a while due to injury or form, and look at some of the depth in certain positions we need to fulfil a World Cup year.
“33 players will go to the World Cup but we need to have a larger pool of players at our disposal to do that, and to effectively have that number of players we need to spend more time with players, get to know players, connect with players.
Nathan Doak and Rob Baloucoune are among the Ulster contingent. Bryan Keane / INPHO
Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO
“That’s why there’s a good cross-section of players who have a few caps, players who have spent time in the environment recently, but also players who won’t have had any time in the environment.
“That gives us an opportunity to expose them to what we’re trying to do as a team, and for us as coaches to connect with those players and get to know those players in what will be a really challenging year.”
Easterby was also at pains to stress that bringing together a tour such as this one was not to be seen as any criticism of how young Irish players are being developed within their provinces.
“We’re really lucky that all the players are getting a really high level of coaching and expertise in their provinces, but we do things slightly differently as the provinces will do,” said Easterby.
“We need to make sure that we keep them aligned to what we’re doing in the national set-up. It’s not a million miles apart from each other but there’s always going to be different nuances that we have that each province will do slightly differently.”
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Easterby says Ireland made compromises to avoid 'ripping the heart out' of provinces
EMERGING IRELAND HEAD coach Simon Easterby said that the national team coaching staff made “compromises” in order to avoid causing complete disruption to the provinces with their 35-man squad to travel to South Africa in two weekends’ time.
The final Emerging Ireland squad includes four previously-capped internationals, a trio of fringe players who were involved against the Māori All Blacks during the summer, and a large group of younger players who aren’t first-choice for their provinces yet.
The squad is made up of 11 Leinster players, 10 from Munster, a nine-strong Ulster contingent, and five from Connacht. Some provinces will perhaps feel more affected than others – Ulster have lost six backs, all of whom could well have featured in the URC during the period of this tour to South Africa.
However, there are also some talented younger Irish players absent from the group and Easterby said that the Ireland coaches had tried to work with the provinces to ensure there wasn’t complete upheaval to their best-laid plans.
Nonetheless, it is understood that there has been plenty of friction between the IRFU and the provinces over the timing of this tour, with questions raised over the quality of the opposition – the Griquas, Pumas, and Cheetahs – as well as the fact that Ireland head coach Andy Farrell won’t be travelling.
“There’s been dialogue right through with Andy and the provincial coaches in particular, discussing players, discussing their needs, our needs,” said Easterby earlier today.
“There have been compromises, there have been some selections that the provinces will feel are better suited with them, but there are also players who we feel are better suited at this moment in time, exposing them to our environment.
“Looking at the bigger picture, the short to longer term is that this year presents itself with not just the three games in South Africa, but there’s an Ireland A game against a New Zealand XV in the autumn, three Tests in the autumn, the Six Nations and then the pre-World Cup warm-ups.
“So there’s not that many opportunities to expose players to the environment and find out a little bit more about certain players. With that in mind, we also have to feel like we’re not ripping the heart out of the provinces and taking too many players in one position.
“I’m sure there will be discussions along the way, injuries will inevitably happen throughout the next couple of weeks, and we have to be ready to be flexible and compromise as the provinces have in allowing us to select this team.”
Asked to explain why this Emerging Ireland tour was happening in the first place, Easterby pointed to the Irish coaching staff’s desire to build greater depth in their player pool.
“We’re nearly a year out from playing our first game in Rugby World Cup 2023, and we know that we have a real good strong core group of players that have been with us for a number of years, but we have to try and grow the depth and look further into the talent pool.
“This is a real opportunity to build some continuity for some of those players who were with us in New Zealand for the Māori games and spent time with us in the environment there, but also bring back a few players who have been out of the system for a while due to injury or form, and look at some of the depth in certain positions we need to fulfil a World Cup year.
“33 players will go to the World Cup but we need to have a larger pool of players at our disposal to do that, and to effectively have that number of players we need to spend more time with players, get to know players, connect with players.
“That’s why there’s a good cross-section of players who have a few caps, players who have spent time in the environment recently, but also players who won’t have had any time in the environment.
“That gives us an opportunity to expose them to what we’re trying to do as a team, and for us as coaches to connect with those players and get to know those players in what will be a really challenging year.”
Easterby was also at pains to stress that bringing together a tour such as this one was not to be seen as any criticism of how young Irish players are being developed within their provinces.
“We’re really lucky that all the players are getting a really high level of coaching and expertise in their provinces, but we do things slightly differently as the provinces will do,” said Easterby.
“We need to make sure that we keep them aligned to what we’re doing in the national set-up. It’s not a million miles apart from each other but there’s always going to be different nuances that we have that each province will do slightly differently.”
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emerging Ireland Pumas Simon Easterby South Africa