Andy Farrell set for IRFU contract discussions

Farrell had been linked with a move to his former club Saracens when his current IRFU deal runs out after the 2027 World Cup

DISMISSED: Ireland head coach Andy Farrell said reports linking him with a move to Saracens were a case of people putting two and two together and getting five. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Andy Farrell has addressed speculation that he is to take a coaching role with Saracens next year and revealed that he will hold contract talks with the IRFU in the near future.

The hugely-successful Ireland men’s head coach is currently working under a deal which expires at the end of the 2027 World Cup. He has been ten years with the Ireland setup and the main man since succeeding Joe Schmidt at the end of 2019.

The Saracens link has been swirling through the current Six Nations.

Farrell joined the club as a player when he made the switch from rugby league to union. He had a stint as first-team coach at the Prem club before joining Stuart Lancaster’s England setup. His son Owen is currently in his second stint with the outfit.

Saracens subsequently issued a statement insisting no contract had been signed and Farrell was offered the chance to give his take on it all on Wednesday afternoon when he spoke to the press after the announcement of his team to face Wales on Friday evening.

An expert public speaker, his answer didn’t close any doors.

“I mean, you'd expect me to say that I'm here to just concentrate on the Six Nations and what will be will be in the future, but I suppose it's people (putting) two and two together and making five with the connections.

“Good friends with the owner, Owen's there, all of that. You can see why that's happened but I suppose we'll sit down and have discussions with the IRFU in the near future, that's for sure.”

Farrell has made five personnel changes and one positional to his team for the visit of Wales to Dublin.

The Wigan legend has rung the changes throughout this tournament so far and, with Wales seen now as the ‘new Italy’ thanks to the very different graphs being followed by those two teams, it was put to him if this was a team chosen with rotation in mind.

“I wouldn't say rotation, no. I'd say whatever's right for the team and the group going forward. I'm making sure that we're able to find out about people who deserve a chance to compete for a shirt.

“I suppose there's all sorts of different dynamics that's within that squad.

“Somebody like Tom Stewart, he deserves to battle for the number two shirt because he's been outstanding with how he's conducted himself within the camp over the last few weeks. So he needs an opportunity to be able to show what he can do under the lights here on Friday night.

“And then you've other guys, certainly like the likes of Robert Baloucoune or even Stu McCloskey, who got to back up good performances. I'm making sure that that is a consistent thing, that they're able to keep pushing on with the game. So, I mean, we could go through the whole group in that regard, really.” The round four tie will mark a 50th cap for Jamison Gibson-Park. Farrell paid rich tribute to his world-class nine with one particular soundbite standing out.

“Somebody asked the question the other day: If someone broke into your house, who would you want protecting your house? It was probably John Fogarty, a stupid question or something like that. And I thought straight away: Jamison.

“Because somebody would underestimate him, you know? He’d probably bite their ankles off first and then do whatever he wanted. But he’s that type of competitor. He’s the full box of tricks.”