Men’s Six Nations: Italy v Ireland
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome Date: Saturday, 15 March Kick-off: 14:15 GMT
Coverage: Listen on Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Sounds; text updates and highlights on BBC Sport website and app; watch on ITV1
Ireland interim boss Simon Easterby has expressed his disappointment with France head coach Fabien Galthie’s comments regarding the Antoine Dupont injury incident in last week’s Six Nations game.
Les Bleus won 42-27 in Dublin to end Ireland’s Grand Slam hopes, but the France skipper’s serious knee injury dominated post-match discussion.
Dupont was attempting to steal the ball in the 28th minute and was challenged by Tadhg Beirne, who then fell on to the scrum-half’s right leg as Ireland prop Andrew Porter joined the ruck.
Galthie reported Porter and Beirne to the match’s citing commissioner and called their actions in the incident “reprehensible”, but no action has been taken against the Ireland pair.
“Without getting myself into trouble here, I just think it’s the game unfortunately,” said Easterby.
“No player goes out to intentionally injure another player. For everyone, or for the majority of people watching, looking at it afterwards, everyone felt like it was a rugby incident which was really unfortunate.
“No player goes out to injure another player, it just doesn’t happen. Whatever the insinuations were from different people post-game, it’s disappointing because the unfortunate thing is people who don’t really understand the game pick up on it.”
Easterby said the French camp’s post-match comments created a situation where “people are getting abuse”.
“It’s just unnecessary and not acceptable,” he added.
“It happens, we know it happens, but those things could have been avoided had maybe other things been said post-game by certain individuals.”
When asked to clarify who he meant by “certain individuals”, Easterby said: “The French camp have obviously come out pretty strongly post-game about the incident.
“It could have been handled in a better way and on the back of that it’s created some unnecessary ill-feeling and it has affected other people in the wider group.”
Right decision made in ‘horrible’ Dupont injury citing
Asked to clarify whether players have received online abuse in the wake of the incident, he said: “I’m just saying that it’s unnecessary, the coverage on social media, that’s all I am saying.
“I don’t read it, I don’t necessarily take a lot of notice of it but when it’s directed at certain individuals and certain individuals’ wider family group, then it becomes an issue.
“We talk as coaches all the time and we chat post-game. I think it could have been a different discussion, a different platform to air those frustrations that maybe France had.
“We and World Rugby and the Six Nations believe there was no case to answer and certainly it didn’t help, it almost sort of fanned the flames of what was a really unfortunate incident.
“But it was a rugby incident and that’s the bottom line. Unfortunately, these things happen.”
Easterby ‘confident’ Crowley will stay in Ireland
Easterby was speaking after restoring Jack Crowley as Ireland’s starting fly-half for Saturday’s final Six Nations encounter with Italy in Rome.
Crowley, who has been second-choice behind Sam Prendergast recently, returns amid reports linking him, external with a move to English Premiership side Leicester Tigers when his Munster deal expires in the summer.
Easterby, however, is “confident” the 25-year-old will remain in Ireland.
“Jack knows how important he is to us,” said Easterby, who added he does not think speculation will affect Crowley’s performance on Saturday.
“Regardless of selection across the last four games, he understands the role that he has and the standing he has in the group.
“He’s a brilliant person first and foremost. He’s a great pro, he’s always looking to get better.
“We believe that for him to keep getting better, to keep getting experiences at this level and keep driving us forward as a team and being competitive in the number 10 position in particular, it’s important that he plays his rugby in Ireland and we’re confident that will continue to happen.”
Kidnapping their dads, crazy tattoos & hairy shoulders
