WHO KNOWS HOW we will look back on the upcoming Emerging Ireland tour to South Africa when it’s in the rearview mirror?

It’s very difficult to be sure right now. A highly unusual waste of time that disrupted the start of the provinces’ season? Or the starting point of a few unusually talented young players disrupting the pecking order in the senior Ireland squad?

Ireland’s coaches are obviously hoping it’s the latter and that’s the challenge they’re setting out to a mish-mash of a squad that features four previously capped internationals, a few others who have been on the fringes, plus a big crop of youngsters who have potential but aren’t even starters for their provinces yet.

Andy Farrell and his assistants have been talking about how James Ryan made his Ireland debut on the 2017 tour of Japan when others were away on a Lions tour and very soon became a key man in the frontline team.

“James hadn’t even been capped by Leinster at that stage,” says Simon Easterby, who will step up as head coach for Emerging Ireland as Farrell stays at home.

“I think he had actually played for a Munster XV and that was his first game of rugby out of school. So that’s an example of a guy with little experience and there are guys here who have more experience, but guys in the past have come through this system and blooding them and we believe we need to blood guys who aren’t at the forefront of people’s minds.

“Don’t forget, we’ve also missed out on a good chunk of time with players potentially because of Covid and not going on tour to the South Sea Islands [in the summer of 2021]. Things like that have been outside of our control but something like this allows us to bridge that gap.”

Easterby pointed to the Ireland A fixture against the All Blacks XV in November as a prize for these Emerging Ireland players to chase. Go well in that game against the Kiwis and there could then be Test involvement against Fiji the following weekend, he said. 

Alex Kendellen has impressed for Munster and the Ireland U20s. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

It might seem like a sudden rise but it seems clear that players such as Tom Ahern, Alex Kendellen, Joe McCarthy, Tom Stewart, Nathan Doak, Antoine Frisch, and Jamie Osborne do have Test level potential.

“There will be players who surprise us, the public, and supporters with what they do and maybe some of them just haven’t had that exposure at the higher level yet,” said Easterby.

They obviously could show that potential in the URC too but the Irish coaches want to see them up close. Farrell won’t be there in South Africa but Easterby, Paul O’Connell, and co. will be replicating the environment and playing style he has built with Ireland.

“That is part of the reason why we want to expose these players to the system and the environment. Not only to find out how they play the game but what makes them tick and what is their motivation, how can they handle the pressure.

“It’s not Test match rugby but we want to provide an environment that is closely aligned to what we do in the senior side and then we will then have far more understanding as to whether they can step up in the next couple of months and beyond to the World Cup.”

The opposition in South Africa has been a point of frustration for the provinces as they get set to lose players during the early stages of the URC. The inexperienced 35-man Emerging Ireland squad will be taking on the Griquas, Pumas, and Cheetahs, who play in the Currie Cup in South Africa.

“It’s a good standard of rugby and it will be different to what a lot of these guys are used to,” insisted Easterby.

“They will have to deal with a bit of altitude. It will potentially be a dry track, a fast-flowing game I would have thought.

“There are some serious athletes in the three teams we will be playing against, so we are exposing them to something some of them may not have been exposed to before.”

There has been friction between the provinces and the IRFU over this tour but the list of players has been named now and at least everyone knows what they have to work with, even if it hasn’t been palatable.

The young Irish forwards will work with Paul O'Connell.

Easterby said Ireland have some sympathy with the provinces but stressed they had compromised in a bid to ensure there wasn’t total upheaval.

“There were another 20 players that were discussed and considered that aren’t in the 35, so it’s not like this is the only 35 names we looked at and considered.”

And so, it’s a case of tour on. It will be intriguing to follow. Exact broadcasting details are still to be confirmed but it’s understood that the three games on 30 September, 5 October, and 9 October will be streamed.

Farrell will be watching from Ireland as his assistant look for around five or six players to show they can take the next step in November. All 35 of this squad will be desperate to illustrate that they have what it takes to get in on the fun under Farrell this autumn.

“I think Faz is unique,” said Easterby. “He has created an incredible environment over the last couple of years. He has put together a really strong management group. You have seen that players love coming into the environment and they are genuinely excited about being back in camp again.

“A lot of that is to do with the way that Faz approaches the game, approaches the players, and gives them the freedom to be themselves.

“I would like to think that won’t change with me. We are not the same person. We are aligned in many ways in how we want the game to be run. Catty and Fogs and Paulie, the continuity of coaching there means that should be seamless.

“We would like to think that the environment would run very closely to what Faz would run without him being there.”

- This article was updated at 8.32am to correct the months in the 21st paragraph.