Simon Easterby is due to name his first full Irish squad on Wednesday amidst Andy Farrell's Irish sabbatical for his role with the Lions.
Aside from the huge opportunity and privilege for Easterby, it’s a difficult position for him to be in with Farrell returning to the job after the Lions tour in the summer. How much autonomy does he have over the selection and how much is he playing to Farrell’s tune?
Coaching is a difficult job, then you bring in the added selection responsibilities and it becomes an even bigger animal. People management can always be difficult, giving some the chance to push their career on, but others could hit a roadblock in their career development or exit strategy and Easterby is now taking on the mantle.
When you’re doing a challenging job, it’s always made tougher by trying to do it someone else’s way. If Easterby is going to succeed or fail in this trial run, it’s much easier to do so by your own convictions and clarity of thought. Second guessing your own decisions by trying to think through the mind of your superior is a recipe for disaster.
Even small things can be problematic in coaching when you’re not the one in control. In the amateur game, you can often find yourself coaching a block of training on behalf of another coach. Whether that is in the earlier days of getting an opportunity, or because circumstances leave you short a body.
Attempting to coach through another person’s session plan and coaching cues can be quite troublesome, despite everyone’s aim for alignment. Cutting your own cloth is often far more effective.
That's a very minor example of what the next few months might feel like for Easterby. I’ve no doubt there’s an agreement in place or a level of comfort with each other that will make this work, but there will be challenges.
Many would feel that they could hold the fort, yet it can be hard to understand the depth of someone’s role and the unwritten responsibilities that come with that role until you try to fill the position yourself. It isn’t the big things that would catch someone out, it’s small things accumulating into what might feel like a bigger issue.
Andy Farrell doesn’t only command respect, but he’s been very successful in transitioning the current Irish squad and their environment from the Joe Schmidt era to the Andy Farrell one. Farrell made it his own despite a very dominant tenure by his predecessor. Farrell too had a testing start but excelled pretty quickly afterwards.
Peter O' Mahony, Conor Murray and Cian Healy should all find their place in Easterby’s plans for the Six Nations
This isn’t a new era for Irish rugby, it’s actually a very similar management structure, just without the boss.
Easterby has been well set up for this challenge by owning the Emerging Ireland tour and getting his feet under the table.
When his squad is announced on Wednesday, I’d expect minimum changes and maybe only the necessary ones through injury and suspension. I wouldn’t expect to see too many exclusions by way of player retirements or non-selection from international rugby for the first time.
Peter O’ Mahony, Conor Murray and Cian Healy should all find their place in Easterby’s plans for the Six Nations.
This could be a challenging enough period for him and he doesn’t need to make that harder by shipping on some of his most experienced talent. There will be plenty of time for that in the summer, and although the public can afford to be less patient with those players transitioning out of the squad at some point in time, the IRFU and Easterby in particular can afford to be more patient to settle the squad among the changes.
Where Easterby will need to make some choices is at scrum-half and in the front row.
Craig Casey's injury has stopped him from mounting a challenge to the ever in-form Jamison Gibson-Park.
Despite Caolin Blade’s previous inclusion in the tour of South Africa last summer, he’s under increasing pressure from both of his provincial team-mates in Ben Murphy and Matthew Devine. Murphy’s performance at the weekend ensures that he’s the one on everyone’s mind.
It’s unknown just how soon the Emerging Ireland tour is intended to blood new talent, the likely answer being that it is individual, however, Devine had the chance to work with Easterby last summer. It could go a long way in gelling a combination in a short window.
Other players looking to plug holes in his selection are the front rows. Scott Wilson and Jack Boyle will be close to selection and with Tom O’Toole seeing out a suspension, it could pave the way back in for Munster’s Oli Jager. Thomas Clarkson got his opportunity in the November internationals, so he’ll disappointed if Jager gets the nod to return ahead of him with limited game time.
Andrew Porter, Tadhg Furlong and Finlay Bealham will likely be nailed on. Therefore assuming Healy will be selected, there’s probably only space for one out and out selection, with others backing up from a reserve position.
There’s a lot more to international selection than just form in individual teams or provinces. Does the player fit the mould of the strategy that the coaches are aiming for? Is there a high level of competition in their position? Smaller things like playing combinations might come into play.
An individual’s most recent experience might also shape the conversation. For example, John Cooney could easily come into the Six Nations squad to challenge for the scrum-half spot. However, Nathan Doak is a younger guy with more years in front of him and might be more suited to filling the third scrum-half position. Current ability will be at the forefront of Easterby’s mind, but future-planning might sway a decision for some spots.
Ireland’s own future planning with the use of an Emerging Ireland tour, and some players really stepping up their performances (Ryan Baird, Cormac Izuchukwu, Cian Prendergast and Tom Ahern all wear the same numbered jersey!) means that Ireland’s potential player pool is as strong as ever.
This squad selection will be eagerly anticipated and the first task for Easterby ahead of an exciting Six Nations campaign.
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