Ireland head coach Andy Farrell admits conversations over his future are not ‘too far away’, with the Englishman entering the final year of his contract with the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU).
Farrell has served as Ireland boss since the departure of Joe Schmidt in 2019, and in that time has led them to two Six Nations titles and to the top of the World Rankings at various points.
He also steered Ireland to a fourth Triple Crown in his tenure this Championship, with Ireland beating Scotland, Wales and England on their way to a second-placed finish in the table.
‘I will have a conversation’
Farrell is currently under contract with the IRFU until the end of next year’s World Cup, which would be his third as the national team boss, but has nothing in place to go beyond that just yet.
That has since led to speculation over his long-term future. Reports emerged last month linking him with a return to former side Saracens as director of rugby, but the club quickly dismissed these with a powerful statement, describing them as ‘disrespectful’ to incoming boss Brendan Venter ahead of his return next season.
And now, it seems Farrell is set to hold talks with the IRFU over extending his stay on the Emerald Isle.
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“I will have a conversation,” he told members of the media. “We’ve already spoken about that.
“That won’t be too far away. We’ll see how that goes.
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“You know that I love this,” Farrell continued. “There are all sorts of stuff that needs to be talked about, I’ve no doubt.
“The staff that we’ve got is second to none, and as a coaching staff, I think we’re getting better. We’re getting more cohesive and getting better as well. It’s not just the players.”
Ireland’s strong Six Nations campaign now leaves them in a much stronger position heading towards the inaugural Nations Championship. They have climbed back up the World Rankings into third place, above champions France, and are within touching distance of second-placed New Zealand as well.
That could change quickly, too, with Ireland set to face the All Blacks at the end of the July campaign, which also sees them take on Australia and Japan, before then facing Argentina, Fiji and the Springboks on home soil in November.