Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

phog · 26-02-2026 11:43PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124268350#Comment_124268350

Whether people like it or not, a proportion of the rugby supporting population don't like him, and a good chunk of that population are the people who purchase tickets to Irish games (and are realistically the ones not complaining about ticket prices).

If the IRFU want ROG then whether you and mates like him or not is totally irrelevant

Read the ticket thread if you think Leinster fans are ok with the cost of tickets.

johnh6767 · 26-02-2026 11:46PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124267473#Comment_124267473

agree absolutely

50HX · 26-02-2026 11:51PM

Whoever is the next head coach it will need to be somebody who has the ability to get performances from players mixed with a technical knowledge of the game although the latter is not as critical as the former as its easier to build a coaching team to suit that.

Its all well & good to say Noel Mc & Felix Jones etc but these guys are unproven to lead at club level with respect to player management...its why there are head coaches above them to do that part.

Its prob why Mike Prendergast didnt get the Munster gig...technically qualified but possibly lacking the leadership skills.

If they are to keep it in house or to an Irish person then the pickings are slim enough.

Podge_irl · 26-02-2026 11:58PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124268287#Comment_124268287

I mean, he watched at least one game from the team bus so I don't think he was doing any of that on that occasion. It is a disruption to the normal run of events, that always has an impact. He was also banned from the dressing room I believe. The point is that there is absolutely no reason whatsoever to think he would behave any different as the Ireland coach or that he "knows where the line is". He clearly doesn't and hasn't learned after 5 bans.

He won't be on the sidelines in international rugby, but half his bans came from comments after the match, not from behaviour on the sidelines. So he is still exposed to that, and the punishment won't be a sideline ban. Again, if people want a Rassie-esque character coaching Ireland then fine. But I don't want that and I highly doubt the IRFU do either. This is not even getting into his coaching credentials - he has done very well at LAR and deserves credit. But it was built on something he can do at club level but not at international level (at least not for Ireland) and when it has stopped working his response has been, at times, bordering on petulant - talking about the players not listening to him anymore and that maybe he should leave.

bingobango12 · 27-02-2026 12:03AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124268374#Comment_124268374

Who said anything about me or my mates? Did I mention anything about me and my mates?

You may not like it but the fact is the majority of people in the stadium are coming from Leinster, and a portion of those people do not like ROG, mainly due to his demeanour but hey, who knows what reason. Sure was it not you moaning about paying for 2 tickets to the A game in Limerick and saying you could have bought a pizza and a few pints instead with the money? You're hardly going to be filling the Aviva if X amount of usual match goers don't fancy going when you can get a pizza instead. Maybe I'm wrong though. Maybe half of Cork come up to support because ROG is in charge.

Leinster fans may or may not be ok with the cost of tickets. I never mentioned Leinster fans, that was you. But once again, the majority of people in that stadium for Irish games come from Leinster, and again a chunk of those do not like the guy.

phog · 27-02-2026 12:11AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124268422#Comment_124268422

I know you didn't mention Leinster in your OP but we all know you were talking about Leinster in that post and you've confirmed as much in your reply.

eagle eye · 27-02-2026 02:12AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124268350#Comment_124268350

I would say that the only people that don't like him are Leinster supporters. I'm from Connacht and I like him as does everybody I know these days. I've no contacts in Dublin I'm in touch with, relating to rugby, anymore.

I would be surprised if Ulster people have a problem with him and obviously anyone from Munster wouldn't.

And lots of Leinster people go to Irish games because that's where most of the tickets are sold. I can guarantee you that the stadium would be full without anyone from Dublin attending.

johnh6767 · 27-02-2026 07:24AM

I’m Leinster and like him a lot

Former Former Former · 27-02-2026 09:55AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124268370#Comment_124268370

RoG has coaching pedigree, he took LaR from nobodies ot European champions twice, and regardless of how he did it, he did it.

In fairness, they reached the finals of both Top 14 and Champions' Cup in Gibbes' last season, they had been building for a long time before O'Gara took over, but he took them to the next level and deserves huge credit for that.

Im not hearing any compelling arguments that push him down the list

But it's not his coaching ability that is the issue. Unless the IRFU have a dramatic change of heart, he'll have to come back and serve a couple of years either as a provincial head coach or an assistant with Ireland before he can get the Ireland job. That's the compelling argument, rightly or wrongly.

aloooof · 27-02-2026 10:07AM

Mod Edit

Warning issued.

aloooof · 27-02-2026 10:11AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124268786#Comment_124268786

It may need a compelling reason to change their unwritten rule of hiring from within. But then there are no compelling candidates from within.

The last 3 or 4 appointments going back 20 years all had a really strong (almost obvious) internal successor. The same cannot be said this time round, imo.

El_Duderino 09 · 27-02-2026 10:40AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124268786#Comment_124268786

La Rochelle got the the Challenge Cup final (rather than champions cup) in 2019 before O Gara took over. Lost to Clermont.

I was at that game in Newcastle. The day before Leinster lost to Sarries in the champions cup final.

So La Rochelle were on the move before O Gara took over. He did great, not disputing that. Just clarifying.

O Gara has a sample set of 1 role as head coach. Great first half, not great second half. So I think its difficult to judge how good he is.

jacothelad · 27-02-2026 10:52AM

Saracens have rejected "disrespectful" reports that they have offered Ireland head coach Andy Farrell a coaching role for after the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

The club said "no offer has been made" after the Irish Independent reported that Farrell has been approached with a deal worth more than £1m per year to return to Sarries following next year's tournament in Australia.

Brendan Venter will return to the director of rugby role at the Premiership club when long-serving Mark McCall steps down at the end of the season.

"Andy has not discussed his future with anyone on the board or ownership group of Saracens and we can categorically state, despite numerous reports to the contrary in the press, that no offer has been made to Andy," the club statement read.

"The misguided reporting is disrespectful to Brendan Venter who will be assuming the DOR [director of rugby] responsibilities from Mark McCall at the end of the 25-26 season. It is also disrespectful to Andy and the IRFU."

ionadnapóca · 27-02-2026 11:01AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124268824#Comment_124268824

I agree. Ireland have had an enviable amount of world class coaches ready to step in or up to the head coach.

Easterby fits the mold. He's been with Irish team since 2014. I think this time Ireland will need a fresh voice from outside to take over. Harsh on Easterby and maybe Im not appreciating his role/status within the group.

Lancaster is the best candidate to me. IF things go well for McMillan over the next few seasons I would think he could be in a very strong position.

How about this? Razor and ROG?

Im the IRFU on the phone this morn:

We'd like to know a little bit about you for our files
We'd like to help you learn to help yourself
Look around you, all you see are sympathetic eyes
Stroll around the RDS grounds until you feel at home

And here's to you, Mr. Robertson
IRFU loves you more than you will know
Whoa, whoa, whoa
God bless you, please, Mr. Robertson
IRFU holds a place for those who pray
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey

Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you
Woo, woo, woo
What's that you say, Mr. Robertson?

darkened_scrum · 27-02-2026 11:15AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124268914#Comment_124268914

Jonno Gibbes was the La Rochelle DOR until 2021.

Former Former Former · 27-02-2026 12:28PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124268914#Comment_124268914

Yeah as noted above, Gibbes was still there when they got to their first CC final. Much like Joe Schmidt did at Leinster I suppose, ROG took a team that was already close to the top and brought them on even further.

The challenge for him now is to show that he can turn it around and rebuild it as the CC-winning team breaks up or ages out.

CatInABox · 27-02-2026 01:13PM

As a Leinster supporter, I can confirm that if ROG was Ireland coach, I would totally support him, regardless of what happened in the past. I am also sure that he would 100% have the backing of all players in Ireland, and would use whoever he thought could do the job. If that's a team of all Leinster players, then yeah, I fully believe that he'd choose that team. Thankfully other players and teams are stepping up, so it's unlikely to be a worry if he is to become the coach.

I also think that it's unlikely to be ROG as head coach. He does have issues with his discipline, and he doesn't seem likely to get to the point where that's no longer a problem, as it's a core part of who he is. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I don't think that the IRFU would think the same.

Ben Bailey · 27-02-2026 01:30PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124269348#Comment_124269348

Excellent post.

Always happy to hear ROGs views as a pundit / commentator. He normally takes a pause before answering any question or comment, and his replies are thoughtful & usually add hugely to the conversation. Contrast this approach to the instances where, post game, he's been overboard with comments / actions. If he can control himself with his player group you would hope that he could control himself when addressing the wider rugby audience. He'll be over 50 years old by the time Andy moves on. Will time change both the way he is viewed, and the way he views others ?.

Tombo2001 · 27-02-2026 01:49PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124268117#Comment_124268117

agreed - it would remind me a bit of the way people spoke about Brian Clough back in the day - yeah, I know he won two European cups but apart from that what has he done……

Kerry_2008 · 27-02-2026 01:51PM

I think as an international coach discipline would be less of an issue for ROG as the national coaches are always in a box ( not on the sideline ) are they not?

Podge_irl · 27-02-2026 02:14PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124269471#Comment_124269471

I don't know why people keep bringing this up - several of his disciplinary infractions have not been due to actions on the touchline but due to comments after games- the same comments he would be making after an international (to a much larger audience)

aloooof · 27-02-2026 02:26PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124269534#Comment_124269534

People are saying it'd be "less of an issue". Not "not an issue".

TRC10 · 27-02-2026 03:55PM

If O’Gara got us past a quarter final, I personally wouldn’t care what he said in the post match press conference. Not sure why anyone would to be honest. And I don’t think we’re so awash with coaching talent that we can afford to turn our nose up at a double European Cup winning coach.

sydthebeat · 27-02-2026 04:18PM

id have no issue at all with ROG being in consideration for ireland head coach. I think hes a clever enough rugby brain to create an ethos for the players he will have to work with, rather than the creation of a squad like he could do with LAR.

he would have worked with different styles in Racing and Crusaders and would have been an important cog in racings Top 14 win of 2016 and Crusaders SR wins in 2018 and 2019. Razor always talks highly of ROG and plenty of players who worked under him had great things to say about him.

as for the discipline issues, there DEFINITELY is more than a hint of 'singling out' of O Gara over other Top 14 coaches for things he says. That might be down to the language barrier issue where other coaches can cloak their frustrations in more colourful language where ROGs french is blunt. id like to think when hes dealing in english he would be more measured.

bilston · 27-02-2026 04:25PM

I'm not a Munster or Leinster fan and I'd have zero issues with ROG as Ireland coach, but the fact is Brian Ashton was the last Irish coach appointed from outside the system, and the fact that anyone under the age of 35 will be saying "Brian who?" tells you all you need to know about the likelihood of ROG being appointed unless he takes an IRFU role of some description first. The chances of ROG getting his ducks in a row in this regard this side of 2028 seem fairly remote.

Personally I think Easterby will be the next Irish coach, although as an Ulster fan I'll be interested in how Richie Murphy goes over the next couple of years, although this is probably a world cup cycle too soon for him. As much as it pains me I wouldn't be that shocked if he ended up in Leinster halfway through the next cycle (he is a Leinsterman after all) and then we'd see.

AbusesToilets · 27-02-2026 04:54PM

Would not want Easterby for the head coach position. I don't think he's shown much of anything to warrant it.

Former Former Former · 27-02-2026 05:05PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124269918#Comment_124269918

I would not be at all surprised if Murphy is the chosen one and Ulster is his apprenticeship

bilston · 27-02-2026 05:10PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124269975#Comment_124269975

Based on last year's Six Nations?

It's a relatively small smaple size and we did play well in the first two games and he did win a Triple Crown, however we did seem to regress as the championship progressed. Farrell didn't exactly knock it out of the park in his first year as head coach and he came good. I'm not really sure how I feel about Easterby, I haven't made my mind up one way or the other, but I think he is the most likely successor right now.

ersatz · 27-02-2026 05:20PM

Regarding Easterby, selecting a guy with no head coaching experience other than a season the Andy was away seems risky.

Podge_irl · 27-02-2026 05:32PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124270055#Comment_124270055

Worked out fine for Farrell? He had even less than that!

Though I know many of us (me included) were skeptical at the time.

Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

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