Andy Farrell expects Ireland talks in ‘near future’ following Saracens reports
Andy Farrell expects to hold talks about his future as Ireland head coach in the “near future” following reports linking him with Saracens.
The Gallagher Prem club last week dismissed claims they had offered the 50-year-old a coaching role for after the 2027 Rugby World Cup, branding them “disrespectful”.
Farrell, who is preparing for Ireland’s Guinness Six Nations match at home to Wales on Friday evening, was a Sarries player between 2005 and 2009 and also began his coaching career there.
His son – former England captain Owen Farrell – is back playing with the English side following a brief spell with French club Racing 92.
Farrell succeeded Joe Schmidt as Ireland head coach in 2019 and signed a new “long-term” deal with the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) in December 2023 to continue until next year’s World Cup in Australia.
“I mean, you’d expect me to say that I’m here to just concentrate on the Six Nations and what will be, will be in the future,” he said of the links to Saracens.
“But I suppose it’s people (putting) two and two together and making five with the connections: good friends with the owner, Owen’s there, all of that.
“You can see why that’s happened but I suppose we’ll sit down and have discussions with the IRFU in the near future, that’s for sure.”
Brendan Venter will return to the director of rugby role at Saracens when long-serving Mark McCall steps down at the end of the season.
The Irish Independent last week reported Farrell, who guided Ireland to successive Six Nations titles in 2023 and 2024 before leading the British and Irish Lions to a 2-1 tour success against Australia last year, had been approached with a deal worth more than £1million per year.
In a club statement released last Thursday, Saracens said: “Andy has not discussed his future with anyone on the board or ownership group of Saracens and we can categorically state, despite numerous reports to the contrary in the press, that no offer has been made to Andy.”
Ireland are bidding to build on a record 42-21 round-three victory away to England when Wales visit Dublin as they chase the Triple Crown.
Farrell has made five personnel changes to his team, handing a first championship start to flanker Nick Timoney and recalling back-rower Jack Conan, prop Tom O’Toole, hooker Ronan Kelleher and left wing Jacob Stockdale.
With O’Toole, Timoney, Stockdale, Stuart McCloskey and Robert Baloucoune in the starting XV and Tom Stewart and uncapped scrum-half Nathan Doak among the replacements, there are seven Ulster players in the matchday 23 – a far cry from the opening match of the 2024 tournament when the province had no representation.
“It’s a fantastic news story, yeah,” Farrell said of the healthy Ulster contingent.
“It just goes to show that if teams are going well and playing good rugby then they will get selected.
“We have always said that selection is not really up to us, it is up to the players to show that they are worthy of the spot, the right to get in the room and then show us what they’ve got.
“It’s thoroughly deserved, all those lads who get to put the shirt on on Friday night.”