Simon Easterby has confirmed that Dan Sheehan and James Lowe will both make their comebacks from injury in Leinster’s URC game against the Stormers at the Aviva Stadium next Saturday. Jack Boyle will also remain with his province this week to play that game, as will Caolin Blade in Connacht’s game away to Glasgow.
This quartet will link up with the remainder of Ireland’s 36-man squad, who will depart for their customary pre-Six Nations camp in the Algarve tomorrow after assembling at the beginning of the week in Dublin. Easterby and captain Caelan Doris will fly from Rome to Lisbon and then travel to Quinta do Lago after attending their first Guinness Six Nations launch in the Eternal City.
“It’s an incredible setting and I’m incredibly honoured to be in this position,” said Easterby in the ornate surrounds of the Spazio Field conference and wedding centre in central Rome, having earlier posed with Doris at the Colosseum alongside the trophy Ireland are seeking to win for the third successive season.
Are Leinster and Toulouse destined for another European final?
“I guess, I’m trying to embrace everything. Trying to build continuity on everything we’ve done before. Because the competition is so finely balanced in terms of each game, the momentum you can create.
Simon Easterby focused on continuity as Ireland seek third successive Six Nations title
England’s Six Nations injury worries grow with Jamie George out of Ireland opener
Dan Sheehan and James Lowe hope to brew up a storm for Leinster before heading for Portugal
Are Leinster and Toulouse destined for another European final?
“I’m hugely excited about the group of players we’ve got to work with, the coaches and the continuity in selection.
“There’s not a lot of change from the autumn, not a lot of change from the last Six Nations.
“But the players are a year older, they’ve got a year’s more experience for the ones who haven’t been around that long.
“There also hugely motivated to go on and keep being successful and staying ahead of the other teams.”
Assuming the role of head coach on an interim basis in place of Andy Farrell, Easterby cut a relaxed figure among coaches more experienced at this annual event – Warren Gatland is heading into his 17th Championship and even Gonzalo Quesada had done his first last year.
“I’ve taken the Emerging (Ireland) team to South Africa, we’ve done that twice over the last couple of years and that’s been beneficial to us as a coaching group. Faz (Andy Farrell) hasn’t been on those trips, even though he’s been a big part of the arrangements and selection. It’s meant that other coaches in the system have had an opportunity to lead, one of those being myself.
“It’s been a really useful exercise, getting to know some of the younger players in the system as well has helped.”
Sheehan suffered an ACL injury in the First Test last June while Lowe has been sidelined since the Test against Australia last November, and their timely return, if only a week before Ireland’s first Six Nations game at home to England, comes on the back of many strong performances from Irish frontliners over the last weekends of pool action in the Champions Cup.
As Easterby suggested, this was in contrast to the build-up to the Autumn Nations Series and that opening loss to New Zealand.
“It’s great. I think maybe that early part of the season players are coming back in slightly different times, aren’t they? But there was a nice chunk of games for players, towards the back end of those European games there’s some meaningful rugby, a bit of jeopardy. So, players are under a little bit more pressure, aren’t they?
“Every game had something riding on it, which is great for us because they come with that form and a little bit of pressure that they’ve been through in the last few weeks. It’s good, everyone’s come bouncing into camp and, yeah, it felt good yesterday when we got back together.”
Easterby and his assistants have been given some difficult selection calls, not least at outhalf, for although Sam Prendergast is the favourite to start against England, Jack Crowley has had a resurgence in form.
“Those two in particular have come in with a bit of form and I thought Jack played really well in Northampton. Even though Munster lost the game, they played really well. Fine margins from the game went for Northampton.
“Sam has had great opportunity in Leinster since we broke up from the November internationals and he’s really taken that.
“Ciarán Frawley’s had a few injuries since November and that’s given Sam more opportunity and he’s been able to spend more time in that jersey, which has been great for us, and there’s always a balance between who starts and who comes off the bench.
“That guy off the bench can often have a massive impact, as Jack did in the autumn, as Ciarán Frawley did in South Africa.
“So, I think the dynamics of whoever starts and whoever comes off the bench can work from week to week. You need to someone to start the game well, of course you do, but you also need someone strong enough and ballsy enough to do something like Ciarán Frawley did in South Africa.”
This was also a first Six Nations launch for the opposing captains on the opening Saturday of the Championship, albeit Doris has experience in the role from last November.
“You’ll have seen the things he’s done. I know he was on the bench last week, but going down to La Rochelle and really pitching up,” said Easterby. “He’s got a really good way about him. First and foremost, he’s a great guy. He leads by example, but he’s also finding new ways to do things in his captaincy.
“In Leinster, he’s supported by a couple of senior players as he is in the Irish team as well and he’s one that, when the big occasion comes, he steps up. He’s proven that for Ireland and also more recently for Leinster.”
“He’s got 47 caps, he’s done that quite quickly. Since he’s come in he hasn’t missed many games, he’s very durable and robust. He looks after himself physically and mentally and that’s been a big strength of his.
“He’s had disappointments in his career, but he’s got over those quickly and found a way to keep performing.
“That’s a mark of the man and that’ll be part of his leadership style over the next six to eight weeks.”
Doris and England’s Maro Itoje are probably the leading contenders to captain the Lions, although Easterby believes that will be more of a sideshow for those on the outside.
“I think he understands that playing well in an Irish jersey will be reflected in the summer, as every other player will in every country to be honest. It’s easy for you guys to look at selection for that but genuinely players will only be thinking about playing as well as they can in whatever jersey they’re wearing.
“Yes, they might be competing for the Lions and up against opponents and that’s another layer to it, but first and foremost our players are genuinely massively motivated to perform, play well for Ireland and off the back of that the results are usually what they deserve at the end of it.”
