Relief for Easterby as tricky first hurdle cleared in satisfactory style

Interim coach identifies plenty to focus on this week in advance of Scotland test

Dan Sheehan celebrates scoring Ireland's fourth try in the win over England at the Aviva Stadium. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho
Dan Sheehan celebrates scoring Ireland's fourth try in the win over England at the Aviva Stadium. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho

In his innately low-key, modest way, Simon Easterby has determinedly maintained that his first match as Ireland’s interim head coach was “not about me”. The hell it wasn’t.

Now that it’s over and done and won, that will henceforth be the case, but it mightn’t have been so had Ireland lost. After Saturday’s 27-22 win over England, privately he must be both hugely satisfied and hugely relieved.

After all, rarely has a head coach, interim or long-term, ever had such a prolonged build-up to such a landmark day in his career.

Easterby was confirmed as the assistant to assume the reins from Andy Farrell in mid-September. But he would have known longer than that, most likely since the Lions anointed Farrell in January 2024. And he wouldn’t have been human not to occasionally let his mind drift towards the personal responsibilities and implications of this day.

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“Oh God, tell me,” he said, smiling and raising his eyes to the ceiling afterwards, the mask briefly slipping.

“Yeah I do,” he admitted when asked if he felt relieved, before quickly putting the mask back on.

“But it’s not about me, it’s not, and I guess the team have been brilliant around the motivation of wanting to do something this year and kick on from the autumn, reflections from the autumn.

“I’m part of that along with the other coaches, back room and the other players. It’s not really about me but I would be wrong to say that I wouldn’t be happy about today’s result.”

That was evident when a beaming Easterby was caught on camera sharing a hug and a high five with attack coach Andrew Goodman. Was he aware that the cameras were on him?

“I am now,” he said wryly.

Aled Walters, the current S&C coach who was formerly part of Steve Borthwick’s backback roomm, wasn’t shy about celebrating along the touchline as a water carrier. And Ireland’s superior fitness was palpable.

“I think we talked about it at half-time; England had worked really hard to stop us scoring and that started to show a little bit at the end of the first half. We felt [in the] second half we could kick on and go another gear,” said Easterby.

The last time a team came from behind to win an Ireland-England game in Dublin was in 1983. While proven front-runners, that Ireland were obliged to do so made this an even better win. It was also testimony to England’s strong start. This perhaps also helped the Aviva atmosphere, which the players appreciated.

“The stadium was bouncing and that’s an important factor when playing at home, and importantly the players feel confidence,” said Easterby.

“It wasn’t perfect but there were really good things that we’ll take into next week and loads of things we know we can get better at.”

Conceding two late tries may not amount to much in the final table, but it did earn England a bonus point and erased a dozen points from Ireland’s scoring difference.

Yet merely on a purely professional level, this was an irritant, not least to Easterby, although it will give him a stick in his own specialist sphere this week and will help to keep a humble group of players further grounded.

“I guess defensively we conceded a little bit of ground, and they got behind us a few times,” he said. “Certainly, making sure we’re stronger on that side of the ball, that will probably be a big focus for this week.

“Scotland have many threats up front but in particular out wide and in the back row. They’re a really strong attacking team. We need to make sure we’re better without the ball for sure, next week.”

The impact of the Irish bench was significant, especially that of Dan Sheehan, Jack Conan and Jack Crowley.

Joe McCarthy should also be back in the mix for next Sunday’s game in Murrayfield against a Scottish side who sit above Ireland on points difference after their 31-19 win over Italy, all of which gives Easterby tougher selections.

“You definitely want that. It’s hard leaving players out of the ‘15’, it’s hard leaving them out of the ‘23’ because they’re all good players and they all back the guys who get selected and it makes training competitive.

“That’s what the national side should be about. It should be having enough players to compete in nearly every position and the guys who came off the bench did a brilliant job. But the foundation was laid by some of the brilliant work that the lads did up front.

“In the first half, it wasn’t easy going, it was sticky at times, it was attritional and I think we benefited from that as we brought on a few guys as the second half went on.”

Alas Finlay Bealham’s fine performance was tarnished by an injury to his lower right leg which will need assessment. The odds being against Tadhg Furlong’s calf problem healing in time, this could mean a first Test start for Thomas Clarkson in Edinburgh with the uncapped Jack Aungier on the bench.

“I guess that’s part of the challenge, we have to keep growing the squad and we have to keep growing the players in different positions,” said Easterby.

“I thought Tom was excellent when he came off the bench today and Jack has been in good form for Connacht. If that’s how the cards fall for us, we’ll just have to deal with it and make sure we’re in a good place to take on Scotland.”

Gerry Thornley

Gerry Thornley

Gerry Thornley is Rugby Correspondent of The Irish Times