THE SIMON EASTERBY era will begin in earnest tomorrow when the interim head coach confirms his squad for the 2025 Six Nations.
His reign will only last for two campaigns, this championship and the summer tour to Georgia and Portugal, and it is hard not to think that Andy Farrell will continue to have a major influence even if he is now on Lions duty.
Farrell is contracted to Ireland until the 2027 World Cup. This is his team so it would be strange if he didn’t have a big say.
Still, the Ireland squad that is named tomorrow afternoon will be led into the Six Nations by Easterby, who has been involved as an assistant coach for more than a decade. He has been a big part of Ireland’s set-up under Farrell so it seems unlikely that the selection will veer wildly from a familiar-looking group.
One of the big pluses for Easterby is that Tadhg Furlong and Jack Conan are back fit having played no part in the November Tests due to injury. They will instantly add ballast to the squad.
Dan Sheehan is progressing well with Leinster and getting closer to a return from the knee injury he suffered in South Africa last summer. Having him available at some stage in this Six Nations will be another massive fillip.
Ryan Baird played little part in the autumn campaign due to a head injury but has returned to impressive form for Leinster and should be back in the Ireland mix.
While Leinster say that James Lowe should return to training this week, having been sidelined since November, there are some who will miss out on the Six Nations squad due to injury.
Craig Casey is the most notable and his absence opens the door for someone else to join Jamison Gibson-Park and Conor Murray in the scrum-half roster.
Connacht’s Caolin Blade had an impressive cameo off the bench when Ireland beat South Africa in Durban last summer, giving him top-level credit in the bank, while Ulster’s uncapped Nathan Doak was called up for the last week of the tour after Casey’s injury.
Ulster wing Jacob Stockdale is another who has been sidelined since November when he impressed against Fiji before injuring his hamstring. He’s thought to be getting closer to a return but it may come for Ulster during the Six Nations window.
His provincial team-mate, Tom O’Toole, will miss the first two games of the championship due to suspension so there will be an opening in the propping department. O’Toole played at tighthead and loosehead in the autumn, meaning it remains to be seen how many props Ireland name this time.
Andrew Porter and Cian Healy were the two out-and-out loosehead options in the autumn but Leinster loosehead Jack Boyle impressed as a development player during that campaign and could be given a chance to continue learning.
Leinster tighthead Thomas Clarkson did well in his first two caps in November after initially joining as a development player, so will hope to be in the mix again, while Munster tighthead Oli Jager would love to be back in the group having been injured last time around.
Ulster centre Stuart McCloskey is a regular in the midfield depth chart for Ireland but has been sidelined with injury recently. Having Bundee Aki, Robbie Henshaw, and Garry Ringrose available is a luxury, and Jamie Osborne and Ciarán Frawley can both play in the centre.
The likelihood is that Ireland’s squad will have a tried-and-trusted feel to it tomorrow but the pre-Six Nations training camp in Portugal gives scope to bring in a few development players.
Big, athletic prospects like Munster number eight Brian Gleeson and Ulster back row James McNabney are worth a closer look at some stage, even if they play in an area where Ireland already have great options.
Good players regularly miss out in the back row department of the Ireland squad, where Munster lock/blindside hybrid Tom Ahern is available after being sidelined in the autumn. Ahern, who turns 25 next month, remains uncapped but has exciting talents.
Peter O’Mahony will surely continue to be part of the set-up given his lineout prowess and leadership skills, but there will be lots of interest in how Ireland use their number six shirt. Tadhg Beirne has been playing there since last summer, but Baird offers something different while Cormac Izuchukwu made his debut in the autumn.
As ever, some supporters will be hoping for a big crop of uncapped players to feature but as ever, it seems likely this Ireland coaching staff will opt for lots of continuity as they target a historic third consecutive Six Nations title.
If Ahern is valued because of his hybrid abilities, Coombes really should be too. He can offer real ballast at 2nd row if needed and has the height and weight. If there was a ‘last man standing’ scrap between himself, McCarthy and Ryan I think he’d be my bet. Devine hopefully get’s a look in and I’m hoping we see Osborne at 12 or 15. Very interested to see who Easterby gives 10 to v England, nothing between them at the moment imo.
@Lochlainn Garvey: a last man standing scrap??? Too bad it’s not playground rugby. Coombes isn’t a second row and won’t be considered as one for Ireland
@adizlack93: Yep, a scrap. Coombes is big, tough and abrasive in short quarters. All things we have historically lacked when bigger teams have gotten in our faces. Secondly (pun not intended), think you might have missed a few Munster games the past few seasons. Coombes has been deployed at TH lock to great effect.
@Lochlainn Garvey:
Coombes might get away with playing 2nd row with Munster but at international level he is not tall enough.
@Lochlainn Garvey: very aware but Munster and Ireland are not the same. Izzy will be next cab off the rank at SR, then prob Ahern. Whatever way you try to shoehorn Coombes into the squad, he is not better than the incumbent no. 8 Doris or backup Conan and def not a better SR than Beirne, Ryan, McCarthy or Izzy, Baird & Ahern
@Lochlainn Garvey: Coombes just doesn’t seem to have it for international rugby… he is a beast for Munster, but the step up just hasn’t suited him to date. He certainly won’t replace any of the current crop of 2nd row forwards and there are 2 or 3 ahead of him for 8 and 5 or 6 ahead of him for blindside. I am not an international coach so I cannot explain why. Leo Cullen suffered the same problem and never broke into Irish teams… Stu McCloskey did too until he came back stronger. Luke McGrath still does a great job for Leinster but will never be good enough for Ireland. Just the way it is sometimes.
@Paul Ennis: yep, the coaches definitely think there’s a missing link, for the life of me I can’t see what it is (as he’s improved his workrate in fitness this year) but I’m not going to suggest I know more than them! I hope he can get a breakthrough and, like McCloskey, show us what he’s really made of.
@Padraig Fallon: Same height as McCarthy (according to Google at least).
@adizlack93: No doubt there’s a lot of competition (lucky us), and the lads ‘ahead’ of him are all class. I think he’s too good and his skill set too unique for an Irish player not to give him a proper crack. Anyway, hoping Easterby trusts some young lads in any event.
@Lochlainn Garvey: Sorry but Coombes is nowhere near international standard for the second row, especially with the others we have in the country. He’s not up to it when it comes to our other backrows either, we have way too much talent there and his one dimensional game is not enough. It’s not a last man standing scrap. If it was, I’d get Seamus from WWF and throw him in at 8.
@Lochlainn Garvey: he’s definitely improved and it’s one of those good problems to have. I think the issue is he’s slow compared to others and doesn’t have the soft hands Doris and Conan would. Absolutely crucial for Munster though but international rugby is a step up and AF has already had a look a few times
@Paul Ennis: yes. In those two games where he was part of a scratch Irish teams. If we’re deciding guys’ test potential based on those opportunities rather than their ability to deliver excellent performances for their provinces week over week, then pretty soon we’ll have nobody fit for the Irish jersey. He has a nearly 50% strike rate for Munster. In fact, looking at the two paltry chances he was given with Ireland, he has a 50% strike rate with them too.
@Brenda Collins: excellent performances week after week? He wasn’t excellent against Leinster at all and that was the last game before saracens so your statement is wrong
Surely Tom Farrell deserves a mention. He has been the best centre in Irish Rugby this season. I know age might come against him but sometimes form has to be rewarded.
@Marc O’ Meara: it’s a shame but I expect age will go against Farrell much as it did for Frisch.
@Brenda Collins: laughable at how ever Munster player should be in the Ireland squad after a few URC performances. He’s been on Connacht for years doing the same thing ..
Gleeson, Coombes, Ahern or Izzy haven’t done enough in recent games to get a call up. Maybe McNabney and even Murphy get a call???
@Noel Lynn: Izzy and Ahern will be called up if I had to bet
@Noel Lynn: fancy Murphy as a bolter
Yep, a scrap. Coombes is big, tough and abrasive in short quarters. All things we have historically lacked when bigger teams have gotten in our faces. Secondly (pun not intended), think you might have missed a few Munster games the past few seasons. Coombes has been deployed at TH lock to great effect.
Jheez the Coombs argument is over. has been fore a while, don’t see Easterby undercutting AF’s preferences and he simply doesn’t see a place for Coombs in the squad. Aherne might get a call as he was due one before and is returning from injury amicably. Ben Murphy would be excellent in the srum half space and is worth developing given his form, that or Doak, Dont think we should be looking at Blade but he might get the nod on experience.