Ireland interim head coach Simon Easterby has strongly rebuked France head coach Fabien Galthié after accusations that Irish forwards Tadhg Beirne and Andrew Porter intentionally injured French star Antoine Dupont. Galthié’s comments, made in the wake of France’s bruising Six Nations clash with Ireland, have ignited controversy, but Easterby dismissed the claims as “unnecessary” and insisted the incident was purely part of the game.
“No player goes out to intentionally injure another,” Easterby said at a press conference. “It just doesn’t happen. People who don’t fully understand the game pick up on these accusations, and then it creates a storm where players start getting abuse. That’s unnecessary and unacceptable.”
Easterby’s frustration was further fueled by the French camp’s post-match reaction, which he believes has needlessly stirred tensions. “This could have been handled differently,” he said. “World Rugby and the Six Nations reviewed it and found no case to answer. Unfortunately, some of the post-game rhetoric only fanned the flames of what was a rugby incident. These things happen.”
Away from the controversy, Easterby has made a key selection decision ahead of Ireland’s next match, reinstating Jack Crowley at flyhalf in place of Sam Prendergast. Crowley, who has been a pivotal figure in Ireland’s backline since the retirement of Johnny Sexton, has struggled to get game time this Championship. Instead, the Irish coaching staff have backed Leinster young gun Prendergast, a rising with more game time. However, Easterby has opted to return to experience for the upcoming fixture.
“Jack has been brilliant, working away and supporting Sam in his first Six Nations experience,” Easterby said. “Sam has been outstanding, but we felt it was the right time for Jack to lead the week.”
Crowley’s return comes amid speculation surrounding his future, as English Premiership club Leicester Tigers have reportedly offered him a lucrative £600,000 per season contract. The deal, if accepted, would make him one of the highest-paid flyhalves in Europe. However, Easterby remains confident that Crowley will remain in Ireland.
“He knows how important he is to us,” Easterby said. “For him to keep getting better, to keep gaining experience at this level, and to keep driving us forward as a team, it’s crucial that he plays his rugby in Ireland. We’re confident that will continue to happen.”
“Sam has a different role this week, coming off the bench, but his development is really important to us,” Easterby said. “Competition for places is exactly what we want, and both players are pushing each other to be better.”
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