Simon Easterby: Ireland head coach made in Yorkshire - and whether brother Guy will support him or England

For the man plotting to bring England down, on whose head rests the glory of victory or the first question in the inquest of defeat, is a Yorkshireman. Simon Easterby’s first appointment of an interim spell as Ireland head coach while Andy Farrell prioritises the British and Irish Lions, comes against the country where he was born, bred and learnt the game of rugby.

In the stands, he will be cheered on by 50,000 fervent Irishmen and his brother Guy, who has invited a few of his old mates from their time together at Harrogate Rugby Club to Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.

“They have all promised me they’re going to support Ireland,” smiles Guy Easterby, “but that might change when the whistle blows.”

There is no question, though, where Guy’s loyalties lie: to his brother and to the country he made 28 appearances for.

“I genuinely consider myself half Irish, half Yorkshire,” says Guy.

His brother, four years his junior, would likely say the same but as he embarks on the biggest challenge of his coaching career filling in for the highly-successful Farrell, he has to be all business.

The Easterbys are household names in Yorkshire rugby. They honed their talent for the game at Ampleforth College, played together as amateurs at Harrogate, and then when the game went professional went their separate ways but stayed in the White Rose county, Simon joining Leeds Tykes and Guy, Rotherham.

They reunited at Llanelli, by which time they were Ireland internationals by virtue of their Irish mother.

Guy, a scrum-half, played for Ireland for five years, debuting a few months after Simon in June, 2000. The younger brother would go on to make 65 appearances over a nine-year international career.

Saturday in Dublin might just be his proudest moment.

“My mum still lives in Yorkshire,” Guy tells The Yorkshire Post. “I was speaking to her the other day and she said she’d spoken with Simon and was surprised at how relaxed he was.

“But that’s Simon…plus the games haven’t started yet, everything is fine until the pressure starts to build.

“Particularly the Six Nations, it’s such a momentum-based tournament, if you get a good start you can get on a roll.

“We’re incredibly proud of him, we probably don’t tell him enough, but at the same time we’re so deeply involved in the game, there’s a different understanding of the pressure you’re under.”

Guy empathises because as Simon has risen through the ranks with Ireland - forwards coach, defence coach to head coach - so the older Easterby is a major figure at Leinster.

“Chief Operating Officer whatever that bloody well means,” he laughs of his role with one of European rugby’s most successful provincial clubs.

“I’m heavily involved across the whole organisation, the main link between the professional game and the amateur side, which is massive.

“What Simon is going to go through is similar to us at Leinster recently, losing three European finals. We’re right at the pointy end of the game. We’ve been in eight European finals, we’ve won four and lost four which sounds about fair, it’s the best two teams in Europe going at each other and you win 50 per cent.

“That gives you a sense of the small moments in a season or in a game that can go against you, whether that be the bounce of a ball, a referee’s decision, luck, injury.

“You can only control so much, what will be, will be to a point. You can’t guarantee results through hard work or having the best team, you can do your absolute utmost to prepare whatever team that is to deliver its best performance.”

So what type of head coach will his younger brother be?

“Ireland have been very lucky in recent times with a settled squad and a settled coaching staff, so he doesn’t need to go in there and rip up the playbook,” says Guy.

“They’ve performed consistently well over a period of time, so fundamental changes aren’t required. He’s definitely keen to bring a bit of his own style to it, and he’ll need that authenticity piece because you can’t try to be somebody else. He’s been asked to do it for a reason because they think he’s the best person to take it on.”

Whatever the outcome today or for however long the younger Easterby is in charge of the Ireland team, it is a remarkable tale of success for these Yorkshire brothers.

“You just look at some of the people we learned from at Harrogate,” smiles Guy, his Yorkshire accent still dominant despite his many years living in Ireland. “Ralph Zoing who was an unbelievably experienced player, Peter Clegg, who would have been hugely influential not just on rugby but also teaching you the right values.

“I love Yorkshire people because not many of them have egos, they say things how they see it.

“The Irish people are so similar in that regard, they almost talk themselves down. It’s probably why it’s been a great fit for us.”