Keith Wood On Simon Easterby, Ireland's Future And World Cup Ambitions
Keith Wood On Simon Easterby, Ireland's Future And World Cup Ambitions
Keith Wood praises Simon Easterby’s rise, discusses Ireland’s World Cup hopes and weighs in on Ronan O’Gara’s future in Irish Rugby coaching.
Irish rugby legend Keith Wood has hailed Simon Easterby’s growing influence within the national setup, while also addressing Ireland’s World Cup ambitions and the future of coaching prospects like Ronan O’Gara.
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Speaking to Slingo, Wood emphasized Easterby’s long-overdue recognition, recalling how the former flanker often was overlooked due to an "anti-English bias" during his playing days.
"It hasn't been done in the Six Nations," Wood said, referencing Ireland’s success under Easterby’s guidance in Andy Farrell’s absence. "It is great to see Simon Easterby coming out from the shadows. He has worked incredibly hard. He has delivered for a long time for Ireland, both as a player and as a coach."
Wood praised Easterby’s impact on Ireland’s current campaign but cautioned against premature celebrations.
"It would be a huge achievement to win a Grand Slam, but it's a huge achievement to talk about after the fact, not before," he said. "I'm always wary of that conversation before the final whistle."
Reflecting on Easterby’s career, Wood noted a perceived bias against him and his brother Guy in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
"I often felt there was a bit of an anti-English bias toward the Easterby brothers," Wood said. "They weren’t as loved as some of the more homegrown Irish players. They were Yorkshiremen with an Irish mother. From the outside, Simon may not have been as loved, but from the inside, he was. The players were always crazy about him."
Wood commended Easterby’s coaching style, describing him as a "quiet leader" with a no-nonsense approach.
"There’s no rubbish with him," Wood said. "He’s not talking for the sake of talking. He has that sort of brusque Yorkshire element to him, which is no harm. He is much loved within the squad."
Wood also addressed speculation about Ronan O’Gara’s future, suggesting there is no urgency for the La Rochelle head coach to take the Ireland job.
"I go back to the earlier comment - there's no rush to shoot straight into the Irish job," Wood said. "His thing is he wants to succeed wherever he goes, and I think he's got a long career still ahead of him."
Wood praised O’Gara’s unconventional coaching journey, which has included stints in France and New Zealand.
"He went to France, then to New Zealand - where they don’t usually take overseas coaches - and by all accounts, they loved him there. He’s quite mad, and it’s great. He’s a different sort of guy, a fiery character."
While acknowledging Ireland’s impressive progress, Wood reiterated that World Cup success remains the ultimate benchmark.
"We can talk about World Cups because we have to," he said. "The World Cup loss hurt. We’re not entitled to win anything, and we got knocked out in the quarterfinal stage, as we invariably do. Ireland were shocked by that, and it knocked them back on their heels."
He credited the Irish Rugby Football Union’s pragmatic approach, balancing Six Nations success with long-term development.
"The IRFU understands that the game in Ireland is driven by the Six Nations, so rebuilding is always an interesting concept for Ireland," he said.
With Ireland now chasing another championship, Wood stressed the importance of continued high performance.
"This would be a huge success if Ireland wins this championship, but Ireland will always have to get to a level of credit by getting past a World Cup quarterfinal. That will be the mark for them," he said.
While Ireland has reached new heights, Wood believes true success will only be measured on the sport’s biggest stage in 2027.
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