Ireland plot summer rebuild after hat-trick bid peters out

Easterby led Ireland to the Triple Crown before a third consecutive title slipped through their grasp

As the Six Nations retreats from the sporting calendar for the next 10 months and the players prepare for a return to club action, Ireland will start preparing to set the wheels of the evolution in motion.

Simon Easterby, Ireland's long-time defence coach, was thrust into the hotseat for the Six Nations on an interim basis as Andy Farrell switched focus to the British and Irish Lions.

It was predictably chaotic for the 49-year-old. For the first time, he was exposed to making selection calls at Test level, the fallout from which centred on the Sam Prendergast v Jack Crowley fly-half debate.

He was also forced to contend with the usual squad issues; injuries, late matchday withdrawals and suspensions.

The former back row was even moved to brush off links to the Wales job following Warren Gatland's mid-tournament departure and found himself in a war of words with France counterpart Fabien Galthie over Antoine Dupont's injury.

Easterby has been expected expected to lead Ireland's summer tour, but on Sunday The Daily Telegraph linked him with a role on Farrell's Lions coaching ticket.

When contacted on Monday morning, the IRFU said that it had "no comment to make" on the report linking Easterby with a Lions coaching role.

Speaking before the Lions link emerged, Easterby said he was "committed" to Ireland and "pretty happy where I am" after rumours of succeeding Gatland swirled earlier in the championship.

Easterby's first crack at a Test head coaching role began brightly, with three wins delivering the Triple Crown before Ireland's challenge petered out.

Humbled at home by eventual champions France, the Irish closed the campaign with a narrow bonus-point win over Italy that did little to quell concerns over the team's trajectory.

There is a sense of the unknown, too, given the retirements of Peter O'Mahony, Conor Murray and Cian Healy, a trio who have been central to Ireland's journey over the past decade or so.

Whether or not Easterby oversees Ireland's summer tour, there will be an expectation on Ireland to usher in the next generation while the country's stars are on Lions duty in Australia.

And given the squad's age profile - 12 of the 23-man squad against Italy, including O'Mahony and Murray, were at least 30 years of age - Easterby appreciates the need for fresh blood.

"I think the team is having to continually evolve," he said.

"If you don't, then you end up getting caught and bypassed by other teams. So I think it's something that we will reflect on over the next couple of weeks and look at the areas that we wanted to improve on or add to the group and then see if we've done that.

"That will always be the case, but certainly sometimes we felt like that was the case and other times during the championship we felt like we probably haven't quite mastered that yet."

Summer tour a chance to blood new players

On the summer tour, the precise details of which are not confirmed, Easterby suggested it will be a largely young and untested squad.

"I think it's a chance to really expose as many players that we feel are still in the system but probably haven't had the opportunity at the senior level."

He added: "It'll be about finding out about certain positions that we feel we need more depth in, but also keep continually trying to keep exposing certain players that are already in the system, that have already played part in the Six Nations.

"The tough thing about international rugby is that you get limited time to gain caps and experience, hence why we probably picked someone like Jack Boyle today off the bench and Gus McCarthy as well. Two guys who have done really well in the system.

"You're limited to picking them for senior games and we want to try and do that as much as we can, to expose and build depth where we can."

Crowley's return at fly-half failed to reignite the Irish attack against Italy

Ireland's attack is a key area of concern after it failed to click into gear and light up Stadio Olimpico on Saturday.

Ireland scored 17 tries and 135 points in the 2025 championship, their weakest return since 2021. France, in contrast, ran in 30 tries and 218 points.

Les Bleus may be in a different league in that regard, but England - who Ireland beat six weeks ago - scored 25 tries and 179 points to finish above Ireland in second.

Against Italy, Easterby had a well-established backline featuring the returning Crowley, Mack Hansen, James Lowe and Garry Ringrose, but still only scored 22 points, fewer than they managed against France.

The struggle to turn pressure inside the opponent's 22-metre line into points was prevalent throughout the autumn Tests and continued in the Six Nations.

Addressing Ireland's attack, which peaked in the second half of their opening game against England, Easterby said "we've seen really good things" while admitting there are "certain things that we feel we need to get better at".

"A lot of that is under pressure situations, how good are guys, how accurate they are with decision-making.

"All the things that make a good rugby player. We've got to keep pushing that and trying to expose them in those sort of situations."