Ireland to kick on through to World Cup with Gareth Steenson on board

A kicking coach with the latter, he has played a large part in Ireland’s improvement in that department in the last two seasons as Dannah O’Brien continues to improve and impress as the team’s starting No.10.

Fri, 18 Apr, 2025 - 06:21

Brendan O'Brien

The announcement that Johnny Sexton’s new IRFU coaching role will spill over from Andy Farrell’s squad and into the women’s, as well as underage, game shouldn’t overlook the fact that Scott Bemand’s squad already has an elite ex-out-half on board.

Gareth Steenson won two Premiership titles and a Champions Cup during a 12-year stint with the Exeter Chiefs and is now back on this side of the Irish Sea as an assistant with City of Armagh RFC and the national women’s team.

So Sexton’s input, in whatever form, will build on solid ground once the former Leinster and Ireland captain is done with his British and Irish Lions commitments this summer and turns his attention to his new wide-ranging union post.

“He’s got a couple of things that he’s going to be doing first in terms of other environments,” said Bemand. “Currently we use Gareth Steenson doing the kicking with us and that will continue through to the World Cup. We’ll have touch points, it will be a collaborative effort.

“There’s obviously a good number of pathway people coming through and utilising somebody like Johnny and Steeno’s skills within the pathway group, but Steeno will continue to do the kicking stuff with us through to the World Cup.”

By the time that World Cup is done in England, Ireland's four male provincial teams will be well into their new URC campaign and it remains be seen where Alex Codling will be stationed come that point in late September.

Codling joined the Ireland women’s staff for the start of the current season as forwards coach and was then co-opted onto Munster’s interim ticket in a similar capacity in November after the shock announcement of Graham Rowntree’s departure as boss.

The 51-year old, a former head coach with Newcastle Falcons, has since earned glowing praise from both sets of players for his input at lineout time, but juggling both jobs concurrently has been a needs-must arrangement.

Codling was with the Irish women’s side in Cork last weekend for their Six Nations tie against England. Munster’s Champions Cup game against Bordeaux Bègles started less than two hours before that in France, and he obviously couldn’t be in two places at once.

As it was, Munster’s lineout coughed up nine of 21 throws at the Stade Chaban Delmas.

New Zealander Clayton McMillan will take over the top job with Munster this summer while the province’s interim head coach and head of rugby operations, Ian Costello, said this week that all appointments have been put in place without giving any firmer details.

“Beyond the summer, that's a conversation for Codders and Munster,” said Bemand before their Six Nations tie in Wales. “We know he's in to the World Cup with us, he's been doing bits across two pieces. We've found a way to blend it and make it work.

“From our perspective we can see where the lineout was, to where we are tracking with it now, and some of the innovation he's brought to it.

“We've got a great relationship with the provinces. Alex is making it work across both groups and it's a privilege to have his input and his intel for a fast-developing group of forwards in our programme.”

Ireland have lost openside flanker Erin King for the rest of the tournament and for the World Cup due to a knee injury suffered in Virgin Media Park against England. Back row Edel McMahon and centre Enya Breen are both available after missing that game in Cork.