IRELAND FORWARDS COACH Simon Easterby will fill a temporary vacancy in Ulster’s back-room team, the province and IRFU announced this morning.
As things stand incoming head coach Dan McFarland is still constrained by a nine-month notice period stipulated by the Scottish Rugby Union, who have signalled their intent to play hardball with Ulster’s hopes of releasing their forwards coach before January.
It’s understood that this contingency measure was mooted even before McFarland’s appointment. After director of rugby Les Kiss was sacked midway through last season and Jono Gibbes departed for the Top14, Ulster have a youthful look to their coaching booth with Jared Payne, Aaron Dundon and Dwayne Peel in situ.
Ulster returned to pre-season training last week and the arrival of Easterby’s “coaching support” will boost their ability to prepare and plan for the season ahead.
The hope remains that McFarland’s will take charge at the Kingspan before 2019, but if the issue cannot be resolved then Easterby will work with Ulster until the arrival of the ex-Connacht forwards coach.
Easterby, who capped off a successful international season for his pack 10 days ago with a series win in Australia, begins work with the northern province this week.
Is son injured? have a feeling Ajax might win this one
@Nathan Mawhinney: Suspended
@Nathan Mawhinney: suspended for the first leg
@Nathan Mawhinney: son is suspended. Think you might be right, Spurs attacking football should suit Ajax to play on the break. As a long suffering Spurs fan I know never to have high expectations..just try to enjoy the football..
@Nathan Mawhinney: apparently spurs have never lost a champions league final! :-)
Spurs medical team were very poor in treating Vertonghen, the ref showed more concern than they did. Time for independent HIAs to be introduced
Handy number for Ajax, they must have been delighted with the draw.
@Orla Smith: Tottenham ,Tottenham no one can stop em
We’re gonna do it again
We’re going to bring the big cup back to White Hart Lane
So ,come on you Spurs
Ahh the glory days of soccer .
@Orla Smith: This is going to be a great game of football.
@Quentin Moriarty: Hahahaha…
Jez spurs can’t get their foot on the ball. Very impressive start from AJAX.
Ajax play some great football! really slick moves. Very entertaining
Ajax have been a joy to watch insofar. Tottenham struggling to get any meaningful possession.
Van de beek had alot of time on the ball b4 lettin fly
@Vote4Pedro: You should have been a football pundit.
@Orla Smith: oh my, the intellectual racist has a sense of humour
I’m going 3-1 Ajax
Ajax could run away with this in the second half if Tottenham attack there counter attacking football is superb
Well done Ajax deserved win against the “tin lids”…these bridesmaids won’t score 2 in Amsterdam…therefore should be a great final between Ajax and Barcelona…me thinks…
If llorente was free spurs were robbed?
@Dougal67: didn’t he score the goal that put them through to the semis?
@The Bloody Nine: I was being sarcastic, he’s an awful player height that’s it if he was under 6ft Finn harps wouldn’t have him, if the ball was covered in glue it would bounce off him, I would probably beat him for pace and I’m 51
See if I can get an answer here haven’t on any other hys with spurs fans. What exactly does deli alli do? Can’t tackle no pace doesn’t create doesn’t score goes missin for ages jees 10mins in before I heard his name tonight? Team sheet every game squad depth must be bad.
Poch has messed up his starting tactics multiple times now. Liverpool , Dortmund , Man United.off the top if my head.not a Spurs fan but he seems to get away with these blunders..anyone with a brain said a back 3 was illadvised.
That Ajax side is going to be ripped apart in the summer
@Willy Motley: I think they will get ripped in the champions league final too.
@Freddie Rincon: explain why
Just hope there’s no brain farts by spurs defenders COYS