THE DOOR OPENED, the cameras clicked and Simon Easterby entered to take his seat at the top table.
The former Ireland flanker has spent plenty of time in the Aviva Stadium press conference room, but this was his first taste of doing it as Ireland’s head coach. That meant more seats occupied in the benches, and more weight behind every answer Easterby supplied. And there were plenty of those, with his pre-match press conference yesterday pushing close to 30 minutes.
Much of that time, predictably, was focused around Sam Prendergast. The 21-year-old’s selection at out-half for tomorrow’s Six Nations opener against England formed part of the first question put to Easterby, and four more would follow.
None of that would have surprised Easterby and his responses were thoughtful and detailed, outlining how he hoped to see his out-halves push each hard across the championship. After all, Saturday will be just Prendergast’s fourth Test cap, so the Leinster player’s story will have plenty of twists and turns yet.
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Prendergast worked with Easterby on the Emerging Ireland tour last year. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
Ireland’s interim head coach also spoke about his own promotion, detailing how working closely with Andy Farrell over the years has informed his approach. Farrell may be sitting out this Six Nations as he prepares to lead the Lions in Australia, but his influence looms large.
Easterby – who has spent over a decade on the Ireland coaching ticket – explained how Farrell’s interpersonal skills have helped him manage the two young players at the centre of the selection battle between Prendergast and Munster’s Jack Crowley.
“As a young head coach, as I was at a club (Scarlets), you’re trying to do everything and you’re trying to look at every part of the game and you end up not being able to see the wood from the trees,” Easterby said.
“It’s all-consuming, but over a period of time you realise what you can do, what you can share with other coaches. But I think over time you develop a feel for players and what they’re going through, and how you can support that and impact that.
“Yes, there’s always tactical and technical things that you want to keep strong in your side, but I think it’s those conversations that you have with players, the chats that you have over a period of time that allows you to get a feel for that player.
“Then you hopefully get the best out of them, whether they’re starting, whether they’re on the bench, whether they’re not involved at all. I think all those micro-conversations are really important for the feel of the team and the feel of the group.
And I think when Faz came in, in 2019 he just shifted the emphasis a little bit in the group, and I think the players and us as coaches have all benefited from that.”
Farrell’s absence has had a knock-on effect across the coaching team. The Wigan native usually oversees Ireland’s attack but now backs coach Andrew Goodman will take on more responsibility, while Johnny Sexton has also been sharing his thoughts after joining the camp on a part-time basis in November.
“Goody has been excellent,” said Easterby.
“I guess he was first in in the summer when helping out Catty (Mike Catt) and Faz. He came in in the autumn and he has some great ideas around us continuing to do what we do well but also pushing on as a team as well, evolving. He feels right now that we are seeing that come through more in the dressing-room, in some of the provincial performances in areas which we are trying to develop, and that helps that.
“Goody has certainly stepped up to take on more responsibility. Johnny being around has given us his input into the game in attack. Those little chats and experiences that he and Goody have and imparted to the players have been invaluable. That’s just an extension to some of the work that he has been doing with Leinster the last couple of seasons as well. It’s been an exciting period.
“Because Faz isn’t around we’ve all had to step up in certain areas and make sure that the team is going the right way.”
Easterby chats with backs coach Andrew Goodman. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
And this weekend that team is led by Prendergast at 10. Easterby was head coach on the Emerging Ireland tour last October which set the out-half up for his rise to Test rugby.
“The Emerging (tour) was great for us as coaches to get to work with him, and get to know him more importantly as a person, and he’s laid back in a sense that he’s pretty chilled in how he goes about his business. But I think any 10 that really wants to progress and kick on has to grab hold of weeks like this and say, ‘This is my team; I’m going to go out and have no grey (areas) about who’s in charge and what the point of the week is’, and I think he’s done that really well.
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“Jack’s been brilliant as well, to be fair to him, and having Ciarán Frawley. So I think there’s a degree of competitiveness in Sam which you guys might not see. I think having Cian as a brother probably helps. He’s kind of grown up having to fight himself through a few situations.
But in terms of him as a person he’s grown massively. Over the last six-eight months he’s had massive experiences.
“We had him on the Emerging Ireland tour and he played two games in five days and I had a conversation with him about playing another game, which was three games in eight days, and I said: ‘How are you feeling?’ And he said: ‘I’m good. I want to play.’ And that was his attitude.
“He has that youthful inexperience which is a nice thing because he doesn’t let many things faze him. He moves on from something that’s maybe not gone quite as well as he would have liked. He kicks on and he doesn’t let those things get to him, and that’s a real strong trait in good 10s.
“They’re demanding of themselves and players around them but also has a very nice way about him and deals with stuff and moves on quickly, and I think we’ve seen all of that over the last few months.”
Prendergast takes another big step tomorrow. So does his head coach. For the next two months, the pair will spend plenty of time in the limelight.
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'Because Faz isn’t around we’ve all had to step up in certain areas'
THE DOOR OPENED, the cameras clicked and Simon Easterby entered to take his seat at the top table.
The former Ireland flanker has spent plenty of time in the Aviva Stadium press conference room, but this was his first taste of doing it as Ireland’s head coach. That meant more seats occupied in the benches, and more weight behind every answer Easterby supplied. And there were plenty of those, with his pre-match press conference yesterday pushing close to 30 minutes.
Much of that time, predictably, was focused around Sam Prendergast. The 21-year-old’s selection at out-half for tomorrow’s Six Nations opener against England formed part of the first question put to Easterby, and four more would follow.
None of that would have surprised Easterby and his responses were thoughtful and detailed, outlining how he hoped to see his out-halves push each hard across the championship. After all, Saturday will be just Prendergast’s fourth Test cap, so the Leinster player’s story will have plenty of twists and turns yet.
Ireland’s interim head coach also spoke about his own promotion, detailing how working closely with Andy Farrell over the years has informed his approach. Farrell may be sitting out this Six Nations as he prepares to lead the Lions in Australia, but his influence looms large.
Easterby – who has spent over a decade on the Ireland coaching ticket – explained how Farrell’s interpersonal skills have helped him manage the two young players at the centre of the selection battle between Prendergast and Munster’s Jack Crowley.
“As a young head coach, as I was at a club (Scarlets), you’re trying to do everything and you’re trying to look at every part of the game and you end up not being able to see the wood from the trees,” Easterby said.
“It’s all-consuming, but over a period of time you realise what you can do, what you can share with other coaches. But I think over time you develop a feel for players and what they’re going through, and how you can support that and impact that.
“Yes, there’s always tactical and technical things that you want to keep strong in your side, but I think it’s those conversations that you have with players, the chats that you have over a period of time that allows you to get a feel for that player.
“Then you hopefully get the best out of them, whether they’re starting, whether they’re on the bench, whether they’re not involved at all. I think all those micro-conversations are really important for the feel of the team and the feel of the group.
Farrell’s absence has had a knock-on effect across the coaching team. The Wigan native usually oversees Ireland’s attack but now backs coach Andrew Goodman will take on more responsibility, while Johnny Sexton has also been sharing his thoughts after joining the camp on a part-time basis in November.
“Goody has been excellent,” said Easterby.
“I guess he was first in in the summer when helping out Catty (Mike Catt) and Faz. He came in in the autumn and he has some great ideas around us continuing to do what we do well but also pushing on as a team as well, evolving. He feels right now that we are seeing that come through more in the dressing-room, in some of the provincial performances in areas which we are trying to develop, and that helps that.
“Goody has certainly stepped up to take on more responsibility. Johnny being around has given us his input into the game in attack. Those little chats and experiences that he and Goody have and imparted to the players have been invaluable. That’s just an extension to some of the work that he has been doing with Leinster the last couple of seasons as well. It’s been an exciting period.
“Because Faz isn’t around we’ve all had to step up in certain areas and make sure that the team is going the right way.”
And this weekend that team is led by Prendergast at 10. Easterby was head coach on the Emerging Ireland tour last October which set the out-half up for his rise to Test rugby.
“The Emerging (tour) was great for us as coaches to get to work with him, and get to know him more importantly as a person, and he’s laid back in a sense that he’s pretty chilled in how he goes about his business. But I think any 10 that really wants to progress and kick on has to grab hold of weeks like this and say, ‘This is my team; I’m going to go out and have no grey (areas) about who’s in charge and what the point of the week is’, and I think he’s done that really well.
“Jack’s been brilliant as well, to be fair to him, and having Ciarán Frawley. So I think there’s a degree of competitiveness in Sam which you guys might not see. I think having Cian as a brother probably helps. He’s kind of grown up having to fight himself through a few situations.
“We had him on the Emerging Ireland tour and he played two games in five days and I had a conversation with him about playing another game, which was three games in eight days, and I said: ‘How are you feeling?’ And he said: ‘I’m good. I want to play.’ And that was his attitude.
“He has that youthful inexperience which is a nice thing because he doesn’t let many things faze him. He moves on from something that’s maybe not gone quite as well as he would have liked. He kicks on and he doesn’t let those things get to him, and that’s a real strong trait in good 10s.
“They’re demanding of themselves and players around them but also has a very nice way about him and deals with stuff and moves on quickly, and I think we’ve seen all of that over the last few months.”
Prendergast takes another big step tomorrow. So does his head coach. For the next two months, the pair will spend plenty of time in the limelight.
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2025 six nations Rugby Sam Prendergast Simon Easterby taking the reins