Ireland are set to ruin ‘the year of the French’
- Updated: 16/02/2025
By Frank Quinn
WE said at the start it looked like the year of the French with six teams still standing in the Investec Cup – that allows for a huge selection of quality players to represent the country . England were not far with away five teams and we are behind them with our three teams.
France dropped the ball in the 6N in getting beaten by England and we have a clean sheet after beating England in the opener and then Scotland. For the moment we will discount Wales played 2 lost 2 and lost their coach Warren Gatland. Italy and Scotland and Italy haver played 2 lost 1 each .
But this is history and we now have three games to play, (Wales, France, and Italy) in three different weekends – to finish up on the 15th March. with Super Saturday calling.
In the 6n there is no need for motivating talks or useless talk of revenge – the tournament tells the story – everybody wants to win at this international level.
First up we travel to Cardiff to play a disrupted Wales and we expect to win, then we are at home to France on the 8th March – which is Match of the Day. In the break week before we play Wales in the 6N – the URC was in action but there was little joy & no consolaton in it for the Welsh Dragons as we beat the three Welsh teams Leinster, Munster and Connacht won their games. Our confidence rolls on and it has made us a 1/2 bet to win the title
We just have to keep winning. simple Simon- that way nobody can sneak up on us, there are always surprises in store, (no waiting on other results please) in the running of this tournament. if we slip up against France for example it opens the door for a French or English comeback for the championship but not a Grand slam. Englad @ 5/1 play Wales and Italy while France @3/1 play us, Italy and Scotland . There are combinations there to beat any bookmaker. (England play Scotland Italy and Wales, France play Italy, Ireland and Scotland)
You can pick whoever you like for the three games – your choice, he has about 35 internationals players to chose from and there will be more injuries – all of this is allowed for in the planning of the squad, but then so have the other head coaches.
I am back to you again to request you to ignore the selection of the players for the Lions Tour to Australia in 2025. Stick with a selection to winning a Grand Slam , the URC championship and the Investic Cup by Irish Clubs, then look at the Lions Tour for a bit of summer entertainment and we do a catch up with Joe schmidt the Wallabies Head Coach and Andy Farrell in Australia’s winter.
I guess I am still in line to give an opinion on the Vacancy in Wales for a head Coach for the international team.
Before we even start to discuss it – “it is a perfect fit for Simon Easterby”. He lives in Wales – his family is in Wales, he played in Wales, Coached in Wales, His CV is well polished up and he is now a fully paid up member of the international Coaching Group as a head international country coach with wins under his belt and he is the man who is signing off on the irish team sheet for every game now. The big test has arrived . His qualifications are on the table if he wants to put them in the hat.
He has served as assistant under Joe Schmid with Ireland – who enjoyed a 74% win ratio, he then continued with Schmidt’s successful replacement Andy Farrell without any break in continuity – two of the most successful coaches in the business, with a good pupil. He has carried on with their successes under his own steam and he has proved himself.
The question is – Does he really want it, Does he really want to make the decisive move in his career. Timing is everything – the opening is there and Simon is in the right place at the right time for this one. Sure I know we are in the middle of the 2025 6n , sure i know the Lions Tour is this year, Sure i know the RWC is 2027. But there is never the exact time to do anything but this one is very close to Simon’s exact timing. In Grand national words (familier to Simon’s family) at Liverpool he is now crossing the Melling Road – halfway in the grand National and decision time. Does Go for the win or stay in the field. (other contenders will be in the field ). it comes with a Rugby warning “No guarantee of being appointed when you apply). (Lancaster, Cheika etc may be in the running)
Simon Easterby played in two RWC’s for Ireland 2003 and 2007, in fact his brother Guy, (28 Irish Caps ) is now head of rugby matters at Leinster Rugby was selected with him in the 2003 RWC version in Australia. Simon has 65 caps for Ireland from 2000 to 2008, since then his CV has been an open Coaching book. In 2025, he is successfully acting head coach for Ireland in the absence of Farrell who is on Lions Duty.
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