Simon Easterby opens up on Johnny Sexton’s role with Ireland as interim boss reveals ‘really special’ Six Nations challenge

Ireland interim head coach Simon Easterby is backing his team to do what no other side has done in the history of the Six Nations and has also opened up on Johnny Sexton’s role with the side.

Since the tournament changed from the Five Nations to the Six Nations in 2000, Ireland and England have both won back-to-back titles on two separate occasions while France and Wales have also managed that feat once each.

After securing a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2023, Ireland won the competition again last year, which means the men from the Emerald Isle will have the opportunity to become the first side to win the prestigious competition for the third successive year.

And Easterby, who is filling in for Andy Farrell while he takes over the coaching reins of the British & Irish Lions, believes Ireland can continue their fine Six Nations form under his guidance.

Quietly confident ahead of Six Nations

Despite some indifferent form in last year’s Autumn Nations Series – where they lost to the All Blacks and only claimed narrow victories over Argentina and Australia – Easterby is quietly confident ahead of this year’s tournament.

“Win a third,” he replied when asked what his aim for this year’s competition is. “I mean, that’s the challenge, isn’t it? And, it’s great because would you rather be in this position or you’d rather be, you know…

​“We know it’s going to be tough, we’ve spoken about it, it could be down to the bounce of the ball, there are so many factors, so many fine margins in these games and more so probably than in the autumn, when there’s not as much jeopardy, not as much riding on them.

“There’s not bonus points that contribute to where you finish in the table.

“So why wouldn’t we feel like that’s something to chase down?

“I’m not saying it’s definitely going to happen, but we’ve got to go and give it a good crack and put ourselves in a position to do something special because I do believe this team has produced some really special periods of rugby over the last couple of years.

“They’ve won a couple of titles, a Grand Slam, a title, going down to New Zealand and winning a series – that was probably unthinkable a couple of years before that.

“We didn’t quite get the series victory in South Africa but we showed in the second Test that we can compete with world champions and beat them in their back yard.

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“Yes, there’s players coming in and out but the bulk of this team have achieved things over the last couple of years and this is another thing that they are genuinely motivated to keep producing and keep performing. And the result of that might be something really special, but we’re going to make sure that we don’t look too far ahead as well.”

A big talking point during Ireland’s Autumn Nations Series was the addition of former Test fly-half Sexton to the backroom staff as a part-time kicking coach and mentor to the fly-halves in the squad.

Easterby confirmed that the legendary number 10 would be reprising that role during the Six Nations.

“Johnny’s the same as in the autumn. It was brilliant to have him around, the players loved having him back in camp and his enthusiasm and his competitiveness. And just his kind of mentoring of those 10s in particular,” he said.

“He’s got so much experience and knowledge that it would be crazy for us not to tap into that, so he’ll be with us similar to in the autumn in terms of when work allows, he’ll be in. And when he’s in, he’ll be all-in and there will be times when he’ll be away.

“We’re really pleased that he wants to continue that connection and we feel like the players and the coaches have benefited from that because he comes in and looks at the game in a different way as he did as a player.

‘He’s been a great addition’

“He was almost another coach on the pitch anyway, as a player. So he’s been a great addition and that will continue in the same vein throughout the Six Nations.”

Apart from their Six Nations campaign, Ireland will also face England in an ‘A’ fixture in Bristol at the end of February.

Easterby revealed that several of Ireland’s senior squad will be involved in that encounter, with roughly 26 players set to be named the week of Ireland’s round two game against Scotland.

“The ‘A’ group is being put together at the moment. The great thing for us is we have that ‘A’ game against England the day after we play Wales, on the Sunday in Bristol,” he explained.

“What we want to do is utilise the provincial coaches, the guys working on the ground every week, and utilise them and their experience to bring them into camp prior to that week.

“One thing is there’ll be continuity then, of messaging and language, etc… that they’ll have when they go and work together as an ‘A’ group and they’ll be working alongside us in that week up until the point when we’ll go to Wales and they’ll go to England.

“Essentially it’s trying to utilise the experience that’s already in the provinces so that we can add a little bit in an area that we feel like we need a little bit of some assistance.”

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