Simon Easterby

Simon Easterby

Easterby(Scrum-hat back) playing for Ireland.
Full name	Simon Easterby
Date of birth	(1975-07-21) 21 July 1975 (age 41)
Place of birth	Harrogate, Yorkshire, England
Height	1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Weight	100 kg (15 st 10 lb)
School	Ampleforth College
Notable relative(s)	Guy Easterby (brother) Elgan Rees (father-in-law)
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	Flanker
Professional / senior clubs Years Club / team Caps (points) 1998–1999 1999–2003 Leeds Carnegie Llanelli RFC 27 71 40 35
Provincial/State sides Years Club / team Caps (points) 2003–2010 Scarlets 109 (30) Correct as of 18:56, 13 January 2011 (UTC)
National team(s) Years Club / team Caps (points) 2000–2008 2005 Ireland British and Irish Lions 65 2 (40) (5) Correct as of 20:46, 13 February 2008 (UTC)
Coaching career Years Club / team     2012–2014 2014- Scarlets Ireland (Forwards Coach) Correct as of 17 July 2014

Simon Easterby (born 21 July 1975 in Harrogate, North Yorkshire) is a former Irish rugby union footballer. He is currently the forwards coach for the Ireland national rugby union team.

Easterby's father is English and his mother Irish. He is the younger brother of Guy Easterby, also an Ireland international. He was educated at Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire.

Easterby made his first international appearance in a Six Nations victory over Scotland at Lansdowne Road in 2000 and then became a regular in the side, being ever-present for the remainder of that Six Nations competition. Easterby then played in all three of the games during the summer tour but he missed all of the following season due to injury and did not return until the game against Scotland in September 2001. After Ireland's defeat, he lost his place but he did win a cap as a replacement against Samoa in November 2001. In 2002 he played a part in the first ten of Ireland's games – eight as a starter – but after that, he lost his place and he did not return until playing in two Tests during the summer tour of 2003 against Tonga and Samoa.

He has been virtually ever-present for Ireland since then; he has to date received 65 caps and scored 40 points. Described as the "elder statesman among Ireland's back-row options", one newspaper suggested that "[2007] could well be Easterby's last Six Nations campaign" As it turned out, Easterby played in one more Six Nations Championship in 2008, after which he retired from international rugby to concentrate on his club career.

Easterby received a call-up to the 2005 Lions tour to New Zealand, after Lawrence Dallaglio fractured his ankle in the first game of the tour. He forced his way into the Test team and covered himself in glory. He took over the leadership duties for the 2005 Autumn series in the absence of injured duo Brian O'Driscoll and Paul O'Connell.