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