Andy Farrell plans to bring Simon Easterby into an Ireland-focused role as assistant. Lions coaching team, Telegraph Sport comprehends, with probably no English deputies set to contribute tour to Australia .
Farrell wants to bring aboard Easterby, who stepped in as the interim Ireland head coach during Farrell’s commitments with the Lions.
Previously serving as Farrell’s defensive mentor, Easterby has also held the position of forwards coach. The specifics of his role within the Lions coaching team remain uncertain; however, appointing Easterby—who has been considered for the Wales head coach post—would indeed be significant. This move could be particularly impactful since the Irish Rugby Football Union had earlier stated that he was slated to lead their summer trip to Georgia and Portugal.
Sources have indicated to Telegraph Sport that Farrell will lean on his seasoned allies within the Ireland squad, even though they had an unsatisfactory conclusion to the Six Nations Championship.
Nonetheless, Paul O’Connell might not assume the position of forwards coach despite being widely tipped for the job. In the previous year, the ex-Lions lock stated that he didn’t feel "prepared" for this responsibility. It seems that Andrew Goodman and John Fogarty are leading candidates to fill the positions of attack and scrum coaches respectively.
Contracts will be finalized this week, and Farrell is set to publicly announce his coaching staff on March 26.
Depending on what Easterby’s brief is, there may still be a role for a defence or forwards coach. Scotland defence coach Steve Tandy was the Lions defence coach on the 2021 tour to South Africa and received excellent feedback from the squad.
It is understood that the French Rugby Union are not willing to release Farrell’s former Wigan team-mate Shaun Edwards with the Six Nations champions set to tour New Zealand this summer.
Despite claiming the Triple Crown, Ireland finished in the Six Nations behind England, who scored more points and conceded fewer points than the other home nations. England attack coach Richard Wigglesworth was a team-mate of Farrell’s during their Saracens playing days while England’s scrum has improved immensely under Tom Harrison, but head coach Steve Borthwick indicated he did not expect any of his immediate team to be going to Australia.
“Andy hasn’t talked about any of the coaching team at this stage,” Borthwick said. “I’d love them to have the opportunity. I’d love as many of the management team as possible to have that. That Lions experience I had in 2017 was one of the best, if not the best, experience I’ve had in my life. Working with the best players from four different countries, working with incredible coaches against top-class opposition. I developed and learnt so much as a coach in that period, it was brilliant for me and accelerated my coaching, so I’d love as many other people from the England group to be in there as possible, and I’ll be fully supportive of them all.”
It has been acknowledged that the expanded backroom staff will include increased representation from England, despite Aled Walters serving as head of athletic performance, David Nucifora as general manager, and Vinny Hammond as head of analysis.
It is not unusual for Lions head coaches to depend on known quantities. During the 2021 tour, Warren Gatland called upon Wales assistants Robin McBryde and Rob Howley along with Welshman Steve Tandy. Nonetheless, it is clear Gatland did not agree with Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend. , who was hired as an attack coach, stressed the significance of coordination among the braintrust.
Hopes for large English playing contingent
As the Lions chief executive Ben Calveley told Telegraph Sport last summer, Farrell has been given completely free rein to pick any coach or player he wants without needing to ensure a balanced representation of the four home nations. “It will be absolutely merit-based, this is about being the ‘best of the best’ and we have to fiercely protect that,” Calveley said. “Things like quotas would not be in line with that mentality.”
That applies to players too and Farrell was present in Cardiff to witness England run riot in their record 68-14 defeat of Wales . Borthwick is hoping that England could be set for a bumper representation when Farrell announces his squad on May 8 with players such as Ben Curry, Will Stuart and Fin Smith putting themselves in the frame having started the championship as outside shots.
I believe this is an exhilarating period because we hope to see as many of our England players participating in the Lions tour as feasible," stated Borthwick. "The positive aspect here is that Andy faces some excellent challenges with this situation. He has incredibly difficult choices ahead due to the abundance of talented athletes available. However, having numerous English players on the Lions tour would be advantageous for English rugby.
“I have done the exercise about 10 times, where I’ve sat there and written out which players I think will go – and I end up with a different number each time, because it depends on who’s playing well. Ollie Lawrence was one of those , so I was really disappointed for him that he’s not going to have that opportunity on this Lions tour. I just want as many as possible, and hopefully, hopefully, there aren’t any more injuries to any players.”
Should a sizeable English contingent be selected then that would open opportunities for other players to step up with England facing fixtures against a France XV, Argentina and the USA this summer. That could include Racing 92 winger Henry Arundell, who is available for selection again after signing for Bath , while Borthwick challenged those on the fringes of the main squad to keep knocking on the door.
“We’ve got our players outside that squad, ringing me in, texting me, wanting opportunities, and so there will be opportunities for those players,” Borthwick said. “What I’d say to them is play super well for their clubs between now and the end of the season.
“My coaches will start planning on Thursday this week about the eventualities if a player leaves for the Lions, so we have two players in every position where you have that depth. And so those players will need to play super well for their clubs, and now push the case for selection.”
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