NEVER GET SIX OF IT

Farrell delighted to be back for Nations championship after Lions sabbatical

- BY EDWARD ELLIOT and ANTHONY BROWN

IRELAND boss Andy Farrell is relishing his Guinness Six Nations return even though he is negotiating a lengthy injury list and an ongoing transitional phase.

Farrell guided Ireland to back-to-back championship titles, including a Grand Slam in 2023, before temporarily stepping aside last year to lead the British and Irish Lions’ triumphant tour of Australia.

Under interim head coach Simon Easterby, Ireland won four of five matches in the 2025 Six Nations but ultimately finished third following an emphatic round-four defeat at home to eventual champions France.

Farrell, who was back to oversee an inconsistent autumn campaign, takes his side to Paris for the opening match of this year’s tournament on Thursday, February 5.

The Englishman has plenty to ponder amid a host of absentees and suggestions Ireland are a team in decline ahead of next year’s World Cup.