Easterby new Ireland forwards coach

Two of Joe Schmidt’s Ireland assistants will now spend their pre-season and more overseeing the affairs of clubs after confirmation yesterday Simon Easterby is to take over the role of forwards coach with the national side.

Easterby, capped 65 times in the green jersey, will continue to work with Scarlets where he was head coach since 2012, throughout the rest of the summer and into the first rounds of the 2014/15 season before linking up with Schmidt in October.

Les Kiss, who is Ireland’s defence coach, had already been parachuted into the chair vacated by Mark Anscombe in Ulster this summer with the Australian assuming the role in an interim basis that is due to last months rather than weeks.