Andy Farrell says he has full confidence his Irish team won't suffer while he takes a sabbatical to coach the British and Irish Lions in 2025.
The Ireland boss was confirmed as head coach for the Lions tour to Australia next year, which will see him temporarily step aside from his role with Ireland following the 2024 Autumn Nations Series.
The World Rugby coach of the year will work exclusively with the Lions from 1 December this year until the end of the Lions' Australian tour, before returning to the Irish set-up in August of 2025. Either Paul O'Connell or Simon Easterby will likely step up to the role of interim head coach in his absence.
Farrell's appointment as Lions coach was the worst kept secret in rugby in recent months. He takes the reins from Warren Gatland, who presided over the last three tours in 2013, 2017 and 2021.
And Farrell, who worked as an assistant to Gatland on the 2013 and 2017 tours, says he didn't have to think about it for a second when he was offered the role.
"It means the world to me," he said at at press conference in London.
"To be thought of as a candidate for the head coach role is pretty special, but to be chosen is pretty magical, it definitely is. Being on a couple of Lions tours already gives me the feel of what it's all about, and for those who have been lucky enough to be involved before, or for those of us who have been lucky enough to go on Lions tours as a supporter, or support what the Lions stand for at home, we all know how special it is.
"For me to be chosen as the head coach is beyond words, to be honest. I have a lot of people to thank, Ieuan [B&I Lions chairperson Ieuan Evans] and Ben [B&I CEO Ben Calveley] and the board of the Lions, and obviously the selection committee, but also the IRFU. The support they have given me, Kevin Potts and David Nucifora, and everyone concerned with the IRFU have helped this dream come through.
"We had a conversation a couple of months ago, myself and Ben, and he laid out all the different ramifications of what it involved to be involved, and he didn't need to do that. It was a no-brainer, because it's such an honour."
Farrell committed his future to Ireland in December when he signed a contract extension that keeps him with the IRFU until the end of the 2027 World Cup.
That tournament will be just over two years away when he returns from Lions duty in 2025, and he says he has full confidence his Irish staff will continue to make progress while he is unavailable for the Six Nations and summer tour that year.
"They certainly will. We've got fantastic people there, fantastic experienced coaches that work strongly together with the players to continue the journey.
"I'll balance the two roles by making sure I give both roles the right attention that both roles deserve.
"I wouldn't take on this role unless I could do both roles to the best of my ability, and therefore I'm very, very grateful to the IRFU for this opportunity," he added.
Easterby looks like being the early candidate to be named interim coach whole he is away, with the defence coach having had a test run with Emerging Ireland in 2022.
That could change if Farrell chooses to bring any of his Irish coaching staff along on the Lions tour as an assistant though, but the 48-year-old says he hasn't given his backroom team much consideration yet.
"I'm in no rush at all. There's a long way to go, isn't there, a lot of coaches just starting in new roles.
"Some people will get better as coaches under pressure to be able to sit back and watch, and have the right conversations so we get the right people on the bus to lead this team.
Farrell took time to thank a number of people during his press conference this afternoon, singling his predecessor Warren Gatland [below] out for particular praise.
The new Lions coach worked under the current Wales boss on both the 2013 and 2017 tours of Australia and New Zealand respectively before sitting out the 2021 tour of South Africa to concentrate on his new job with Ireland.
And he says working under Gatland helped the former Rugby League great realise just what the Lions fuss was all about.
"I've learned a lot from Gats. I reckon he took a big punt on me in 2013. I hadn't been coaching for that long at that stage so I'm very grateful for him to be able to expose me to what the Lions is all about.
"Just sat here now, listening to what Ieuan and Ben are saying about the sea of red gets the spine tingling again, and in 2013 I was enjoying it that much that it just lit something within me that said to me I need to make sure I got back on this in four years time again. To miss out on the Covid one in South Africa was hard, but at the same time now to be able to get to this point is extra special.
"I've massive shoes to fill in regards to the people that's gone before me, it's a massive responsibility I take head on. Gats has already been in touch and I'm sure we'll be in touch more over the next 18 months," he added.
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