Ireland: Paul O’Connell has appointed provisional coach for the summer tour due to the role of Simon Easterby’s lions
Paul O’Connell was appointed head of the provisional coach of Ireland for the summer tour in Georgia and Portugal after Simon Easterby was appointed in the British and Irish Lions coaching team.
The defense coach Easterby was given the head of the provisional coach of Ireland for the recent six nations because Andy Farrell is in Sabbatico from the role while preparing to lead the Lions in Australia.
However, Farrell, as expected, has appointed Easterby in a Lions coaching team that will also have a further representation in Ireland in the coach of Scrum John Fogarty and in the Backs coach Andrew Goodman.
This brought the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) to confirm that the coach forward O’Connell, 45 years old, will take care of the Ireland team in the tests against Georgia and Portugal who take place on July 5 and 12 July.
The rest of the coaching Ireland team for summer tests should be announced next week.
The places and times of kick-off for the two games are yet to be confirmed.
The team of the tour in Ireland is likely to be considerably lower than a great contingent of their usual customers who are expected to be in the running for the selection of Lions.
Munster Great O’Connell, who won 108 caps in Ireland and played in three Lions tours including the 2009 series in which he led the team in South Africa, was appointed coach of Ireland in 2021 after Easterby went to the role of defense coach.
