'Win a third,' Simon Easterby sets Six Nations challenge for Ireland's gladiators

Easterby went full Maximus in Rome when asked how he would follow back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024.

GLADIATORS, READY: Ireland’s Caelan Doris and head coach Simon Easterby at the launch of the 2025 Guinness Men’s Six Nations Championship at the Colosseum in Rome. Pic: ©INPHO/Billy Stickland

A photo shoot in the Colosseum followed by a flex from the champions, Ireland went into gladiatorial mode as the 2025 Guinness Six Nations was launched in the Italian capital on Tuesday.

Simon Easterby may be the interim Ireland head coach but as the man handed the reins in the temporary absence of the British & Irish Lions-bound Andy Farrell, he went full Maximus when asked how he would follow back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024.

“Win a third,” was the new man’s reply, before he outlined his team’s credentials as serial winners.

“I mean, that's the challenge isn't it, and it's great because would you rather be in this position or you'd rather be, you know… We know it's going to be tough, we’ve spoken about it could be down to the bounce of the ball, there are so many factors, so many fine margins in these games and more so probably that in the autumn, when there's not as much jeopardy, there's not as much riding on them.

"There's not bonus points that contribute to where you finish in the table.

“So why wouldn't we feel like that's something to chase down? I'm not saying it's definitely going to happen, but we've got to go and give it a good crack and put ourselves in a position to do something special because I do believe this team has produced some really special periods of rugby over the last couple of years.

“They’ve won a couple of titles, a Grand Slam, a title, going down to New Zealand and winning a series that was probably unthinkable a couple of years before that. We didn't quite get the series victory in South Africa but we showed in the second Test that we can compete with world champions and beat them in their backyard.

“Yes, there’s players coming in and out but the bulk of this team have achieved things over the last couple of years and this is another thing that they are genuinely motivated to keep producing and keep performing and the result of that might be something really special but we're going to make sure that we don't look too far ahead as well.”

The question was a valid one given Ireland’s below-par start to last November’s Autumn Nations Series when they were well beaten by New Zealand.

Speaking in the magisterial surrounds of the Palazzo Brancaccio, Easterby predicted the men in green would be better equipped to hit the ground running after a battle-hardening pool campaign for the provinces in Europe since those November Tests.

“For us it's the players' understanding of coming back into camp. It's a shorter turnaround than maybe summer to November when we had them. Now, it's only been like six weeks, so it's a shorter period away from each other.

“You stay connected with them all the time and they understand our game and it's important that there be a few nuances within our game compared to Munster or Leinster, or Connacht or Ulster but essentially I feel like there's more continuity because there's been less time away, less time apart from each other.

"I don't feel like what any of the provinces are doing will be contradictory to what we want to do.”

Easterby will continue to perform his usual role as defence coach but he revealed there would be some fresh coaching blood from the provinces for the upcoming A international with England in Bristol on February 23, with an announcement due two weeks out.

He also confirmed former captain Johnny Sexton would be involved once more during the championship, offering mentorship primarily to squad fly-halves Jack Crowley, Ciaran Frawley and Sam Prendergast.

“Johnny's the same as in the autumn. It was brilliant to have him around, the players loved having him back in camp and his enthusiasm and his competitiveness. And just his kind of mentoring off those 10s in particular.

“He's got so much experience and knowledge it would be crazy for us not to tap into that, so he'll be with us similar to in the autumn in terms of when work allows he'll be in. And when he’s in he’ll be all in.

“We're really pleased that he wants to continue that connection and we feel like the players and the coaches have benefited from that because he comes in and looks at the game in a different way as he did as a player. He was almost another coach on the pitch anyway, as a player.

"So he's been a great addition and that will continue in the same vein throughout the Six Nations.”