Ireland rugby squad working with mental skills coach

The Ireland rugby squad have employed Gary Keegan, the renowned mental skills coach who previously worked with Leinster, the Dublin footballers and the Irish boxers at the Athens and Beijing Olympics, to deal with the "anxiety" that damaged the team's performance at the 2019 World Cup.

“Gary Keegan has been with us for some weeks now and has been doing a tremendous job,” Farrell revealed at the press conference ahead of facing Scotland on Saturday at the Aviva stadium.

“Mick Kearney has been there in previous years as manager but he is there as a mentor for many of the players as well. For a lot of our players it isn’t just the stress of a match week, they are dealing with life outside of rugby that can build up in a different manner.

“Mick helps massively with [BUSINESS]mentors for players outside of rugby. With Gary and Mick we are well on our way to starting something that will help in the future.”

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Farrell - not unlike Jim Gavin when Dublin manager - was suitably vague about Keegan’s precise role working with the group or dealing with individuals.

“It is all of the above,” said Farrell. “Gary’s mental skills, as far as helping it translate to performance, is what he is second to none at.”

Keegan has sat on the IRFU’s national professional games board since 2016, having moved from Performance Director at the Irish Athletic Boxing Association in 2008 to become a Sport Ireland director (2008-16). He is chief executive of his own high performance consultancy company, Uppercut.

He also helped the Tipperary hurlers to last year’s All-Ireland title.

The Keegan revelation came from Farrell after a number of questions about the severe stress levels the players were under leading up to last year’s World Cup. Concerns about players mental health has been raised following recent poor performances coupled with the IRFU’s refusal to renegotiate contracts that expire next summer.

“As a head coach I know all about that,” Farrell added. “I know where everyone is at individually but, honestly, the feeling in the group you would never know it exists. The players have been absolutely magnificent for eight weeks, the drive has been second to none to want to get better and you would never think that is at the forefront of their mind, which is a massive credit to them.”

Farrell has named the strongest possible team to face Scotland. No fresh injuries have influenced selection.

“We have had quite a few injuries throughout this period now of eight weeks, so there is the obvious ones that are no longer in the group anymore but, no, we are pretty good despite waiting for a few players to prove their fitness this week.

“But all is good.”

Johnny Sexton, having recovered from a hamstring issue, relieves James Ryan of the captaincy with 11 of the players who captured the 2018 Grand Slam at Twickenham included in the starting XV.

The four players not involved that day are Robbie Henshaw, Hugo Keenan, Caelan Doris and Rob Herring, who is selected at hooker ahead of Ronán Kelleher after a solid lineout throwing display in an otherwise disappointing 23-10 victory over Georgia last Sunday.

Munster captain Peter O'Mahony continues at openside flanker, with Doris at number eight and CJ Stander on the blindside, as Josh van der Flier returns to the bench. Will Connors and Tadhg Beirne miss out.

Ulster and former Trinity College prop Eric O’Sullivan is set become the 11th new Ireland cap in 2020 off the bench. Finlay Bealham, who struggled in the scrum against Georgia when selected at loosehead despite playing most of his rugby for Connacht at tighthead, has dropped out of the match day squad.

Ross Byrne is retained as cover for Sexton despite the promotion of his younger brother Harry Byrne to the Carton House bio-bubble this week.

Ireland: J Stockdale; H Keenan, R Henshaw, B Aki, K Earls; J Sexton (capt), C Murray; C Healy, R Herring, A Porter; James Ryan, I Henderson; CJ Stander, P O'Mahony, C Doris. Replacements: R Kelleher, E O'Sullivan, John Ryan, Q Roux, J van der Flier, J Gibson-Park, R Byrne, C Farrell.